Oscar Name Meaning

“Oscar” is a unique name because of its association with the Old English culture. The name has a strong association with the idea of being a spear of the gods, which can be a positive association for many people. The name also has a strong association with the idea of being powerful, which can be a positive association for many people.

Origins of the Name Oscar

The name Oscar is of Old English origin, and it means “God’s spear” or “spear of the gods” in Old English. The name is derived from the Old English elements “os,” meaning “god,” and “gar,” meaning “spear.” The name Oscar is also a variant of the name Osgar, which is the anglicized form of the Irish name Oisín. Oisín was a legendary poet and warrior of the 3rd century.

Popularity of the Name Oscar

The name Oscar is a popular name in English speaking countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. It is also popular in other countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

The name Oscar can also be spelled in different ways such as “Oskar” or “Osgar” but it is not as common as the original spelling.

Famous Oscars

Many notable men have borne the name “Oscar” throughout history. Here are just a few examples:

  • Oscar Wilde, an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet
  • Oscar Isaac, an American actor and singer
  • Oscar Robertson, an American retired professional basketball player.

Final Thoughts on the Name Oscar

All in all, “Oscar” is a name with a rich history and plenty of interesting stories behind it. From Old English culture, to being a spear of the gods and being powerful, there are plenty of stories behind the name. It’s a strong, masculine name that implies power, strength, and godly blessings, perfect for a boy who wants to stand out from the crowd. Although it is not a common name in other countries but it is popular in English speaking countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. The name Oscar can also be spelled in different ways such as “Oskar” or “Osgar” but it is not as common as the original spelling. Overall, Oscar is a name that is sure to be remembered and associated with being powerful and blessed.

Infographic of Oscar name meaning, which is A Gaelic name, Oscar means friend of deer.
Ask your friends & family about Oscar…

Oscar Name Popularity

How popular is the name Oscar? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 74 471 0.1338%
1911 67 615 0.1652%
1912 73 1,114 0.2209%
1913 77 1,219 0.215%
1914 77 1,533 0.22%
1915 88 1,781 0.196%
1916 86 1,902 0.1969%
1917 87 1,948 0.1947%
1918 87 2,095 0.1952%
1919 88 1,978 0.1889%
1920 90 2,002 0.1801%
1921 92 1,966 0.1717%
1922 92 1,999 0.1794%
1923 97 1,860 0.1661%
1924 99 1,796 0.1547%
1925 99 1,732 0.1532%
1926 105 1,704 0.1549%
1927 112 1,618 0.1462%
1928 122 1,444 0.135%
1929 117 1,447 0.1397%
1930 124 1,443 0.1381%
1931 131 1,305 0.1322%
1932 138 1,221 0.1236%
1933 142 1,081 0.116%
1934 144 1,060 0.1097%
1935 143 1,055 0.1086%
1936 153 965 0.1002%
1937 156 946 0.096%
1938 159 981 0.0958%
1939 163 953 0.0937%
1940 168 903 0.085%
1941 164 996 0.0885%
1942 172 918 0.0727%
1943 169 1,037 0.0794%
1944 178 879 0.0709%
1945 176 896 0.0735%
1946 182 978 0.0663%
1947 183 1,089 0.0652%
1948 185 1,055 0.0661%
1949 186 1,080 0.0671%
1950 194 1,063 0.066%
1951 199 1,035 0.061%
1952 205 1,051 0.0602%
1953 202 1,167 0.0659%
1954 198 1,231 0.0673%
1955 211 1,123 0.0611%
1956 218 1,094 0.0579%
1957 219 1,159 0.0602%
1958 238 1,040 0.055%
1959 246 1,042 0.0548%
1960 244 1,044 0.0551%
1961 245 1,015 0.0538%
1962 245 965 0.0526%
1963 234 989 0.0551%
1964 241 979 0.0556%
1965 233 944 0.0577%
1966 228 912 0.0584%
1967 235 886 0.0584%
1968 237 869 0.0579%
1969 228 984 0.0639%
1970 225 1,014 0.0637%
1971 221 1,032 0.0687%
1972 209 1,072 0.0787%
1973 205 1,024 0.079%
1974 190 1,164 0.0896%
1975 185 1,191 0.0927%
1976 184 1,193 0.0926%
1977 186 1,235 0.0916%
1978 181 1,269 0.0944%
1979 184 1,274 0.0904%
1980 177 1,357 0.0928%
1981 171 1,437 0.0978%
1982 179 1,444 0.0966%
1983 185 1,324 0.0897%
1984 180 1,363 0.0916%
1985 171 1,546 0.1019%
1986 171 1,526 0.1011%
1987 165 1,620 0.1062%
1988 165 1,683 0.108%
1989 155 1,931 0.1197%
1990 136 2,288 0.138%
1991 134 2,402 0.1474%
1992 131 2,550 0.1598%
1993 123 2,811 0.1803%
1994 123 2,809 0.183%
1995 131 2,691 0.1786%
1996 125 2,980 0.199%
1997 127 2,951 0.1995%
1998 129 2,973 0.1986%
1999 116 3,111 0.2077%
2000 122 3,160 0.2069%
2001 125 3,163 0.2099%
2002 121 3,223 0.2151%
2003 122 3,279 0.2155%
2004 123 3,328 0.2184%
2005 117 3,440 0.225%
2006 119 3,578 0.2285%
2007 121 3,529 0.2237%
2008 120 3,532 0.2285%
2009 131 3,098 0.2073%
2010 147 2,637 0.183%
2011 162 2,357 0.1654%
2012 177 2,175 0.1526%
2013 179 2,228 0.1565%
2014 184 2,306 0.1583%
2015 183 2,267 0.1558%
2016 176 2,246 0.1558%
2017 191 2,026 0.1452%
2018 205 1,926 0.1402%
2019 203 1,877 0.1387%
2020 217 1,675 0.1316%
2021 226 1,660 0.1358%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Oscar

If you like Oscar, you’ll love these other names like Oscar.

What names are variants of Oscar?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Oscar.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Oskar

Spear of the gods

English

Osker

Spear of the gods

English

Ossie

Spear of the gods; God's power

German

Ozzy

Spear of the gods; God's power

German

What names sound like Oscar?

If you like how Oscar sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Oscar.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Asgard

Gods' courtyard

Scandinavian

Isachar

His reward will come

Hebrew

Lists With Oscar

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Oscar.

Siblings of Oscar

Mamas with kids named Oscar also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Clementine

Merciful

Latin

4 Comments

  1. We chose Oscar after rewatching the 1970’s Pippi longstocking movie. At one point everybody is yelling Oscar, my 7-year-old, (then 5) Was bored of the film and running all over the house, screeching “OsCar!!” along with the movie. Later that day I went into labour and gave broth to little Oscar. We planed on naming him Oren, I even brought a baby blanket with that name on it. But when we got hold of our little guy for the first time, I just really wanted Oscar. (I am aware of how cheesy this sounds.) And my husband left the final decision for me. I chose Oscar. I used Oren as a middle name and Oscar Oren Ross was into this world.

    Reply

  2. He was named after his father

    Reply

  4. We already have a Clementine, so it had to match her name and be a different initial to hers. I like names that aren’t going to be misspelt easily (although in the country we live in it’ll be spelt Oskar vs Oscar sometimes). I came across the children’s story ‘Oscar got the blame’ by Tony Ross a couple of weeks before he was born and it seemed quite fitting if it was a boy (we didn’t find out the gender), and when he was born we decided he really did look like an Oscar, although we waited a couple of days before deciding. It suits him perfectly, he’s such a wonderful little Oscar. His 4 yo sister can also pronounce it easily, which is cute.

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