Oscar

“Deer's friend, or god's spear” — Irish / Old English origin

Boy's name · #223 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Oscar has held steady since 1880, standing at #223 in 2025. Sixty straight years of records barely move it — one of the steadiest names in American use. Oscar's short forms are Ozzie and Ozzy. About 540 boys a year are given Ozzy as their full name.

Around the world: #1 in Denmark (2025) · #8 in England & Wales (2025) · #10 in Belgium (2025) · #11 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #17 in Australia (NSW) (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 47 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Oscars

Oscar Wilde — Irish poet, playwright, and aesthete (1854-1900)
Oscar Niemeyer — Brazilian architect (1907–2012)
Óscar Arias Sánchez — President of Costa Rica (1986–1990, 2006–2010)
Oscar Pistorius — South African sprinter and convicted murderer (born 1986)
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro — 9th President of Italy (1918–2012)

In stories & tradition

Oscar the Grouch — Sesame Street
Oscar (Wizard of Oz) — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Oscar — mythical character

What Oscars become

Among 4,649 notable people named Oscar:

Sports figures appear 1.35× more often than among typical names — e.g. Oscar, Brazilian association football player (born 1991).

Similar names: Oskar · Louis · Hosea · Warren · Edgar · Arthur

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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