ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1886 First Year 2015 Last Year 1994 Peak Year #4239 Peak Rank 1K Total Count 103 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Oscar What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Oscar or Oskar is a masculine given name of English, Old Norse and Irish origin. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar%5F%28given%5Fname%29) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * English * Irish * Portuguese * Italian * Swedish * Norwegian * Danish * Dutch * French * Irish Mythology * Spanish * Catalan 📜Etymology The name Oscar finds its Original roots in Old English and Old Norse cultures which may be linked to the Norse Viking settlement of England. The Old English variation is derived from the elements "os" meaning "god" and "gar" meaning "spear," meaning “Gods Spear” thus combining into a powerful image of divine strength. Similarly, in Old Norse, which was a mutually intelligible language to Old English, Oscar is believed to translate to "spear of the gods," again reiterating a sense of noble valor. Oscar was a popular name in England until the 1066 Norman Conquest following which some Norse and G [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Oscar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Erik_%28Wahlberg%29_Wahlbergson_-_Oscar_I%2C_King_of_Sweden_and_Norway_1844-1859_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/330px-Erik_%28Wahlberg%29_Wahlbergson_-_Oscar_I%2C_King_of_Sweden_and_Norway_1844-1859_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar%5F%28given%5Fname%29) 📖 ## The Story of Oscar American parents first put Oscar on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 544 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2006, when 3,601 Oscars were born — ranking #118 that year. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #213 among baby boy names with 1,674 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 215K Oscars have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Oscar Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Oscar. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Óscar * [Oskar](/oskar) * [Ossie](/ossie) 🎶 ## Names that sound like Oscar Phonetically similar names — useful when Oscar is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Oskar](/oskar) * Oscr * Asker * [Esker](/esker) * Eschar * Isker * Askar * Oscars * Osk * Oski * Osc * Osca Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Oscar What does the name Oscar mean? Oscar or Oskar is a masculine given name of English, Old Norse and Irish origin. What is the origin of the name Oscar? Oscar has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Irish, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish Mythology, Spanish, Catalan. How popular is Oscar in 2026? In 2026, Oscar ranks #213 among boys' names in the U.S., with 1,674 babies given the name that year. When was Oscar most popular? Oscar reached its peak popularity in 2006, ranking #26 that year with 3,601 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Oscar most popular? Oscar has historically been most popular in Alabama, Texas, Utah. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Oscar. Is Oscar a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Oscar is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Oscar? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Oscar include Jesse, Jordan, Terry. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Oscar? Common variants and related forms of Oscar include Óscar, Oskar, Ossie. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧SheldonPeak #4239](/sheldon)[👧AnnessaPeak #4239](/annessa)[👧ShanterriaPeak #4239](/shanterria)[👧ShadowPeak #4239](/shadow)[👧CameraPeak #4239](/camera)[👧SanamPeak #4239](/sanam)[👧CalahPeak #4239](/calah)[👧OceannaPeak #4239](/oceanna) ## About the name Oscar Oscar is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 215K births in the dataset. Oscar's peak popularity came in 2006 when it ranked #26\. Use the chart and map above to compare Oscar's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2006 → ](/year/2006) * [ Names of the 2000s → ](/decade/2000s) * [ Names starting with "O" → ](/letter/o) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.