Boy · #2,641 in 2026

Oshea

O'Shea is a surname and, less often, a given name. It is an anglicized form of the Irish patronymic name Ó Séaghdha or Ó Sé, originating in the Kingdom of Corcu Duibne in County Kerry. Historian C. Thomas Cairney states that the O'Sheas were from the Corcu Duibne tribe, who were from the Erainn tribe, the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland from about 500 to 100 BC.

  • Biblical
Current Rank
#2,641
Peak Rank
#1,638 (2016)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
-9%
1979
First Year
2023
Last Year
1997
Peak Year
#10836
Peak Rank
61
Total Count
11
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Oshea

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

O'Shea is a surname and, less often, a given name. It is an anglicized form of the Irish patronymic name Ó Séaghdha or Ó Sé, originating in the Kingdom of Corcu Duibne in County Kerry. Historian C. Thomas Cairney states that the O'Sheas were from the Corcu Duibne tribe, who were from the Erainn tribe, the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland from about 500 to 100 BC.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Biblical

The Story of Oshea

Oshea first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1986, with 20 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 64 Osheas were born — ranking #2,145 that year. As of 2026, Oshea ranks #2,641 for baby boys with 50 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 1K Osheas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
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WI
MI
NY
VT
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OR
ID
SD
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IL
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OH
PA
NJ
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MD
DE
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UT
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Top 10
11-50
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500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Oshea

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Oshea. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Oshea

Phonetically similar names — useful when Oshea is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Oshea

What does the name Oshea mean?
O'Shea is a surname and, less often, a given name. It is an anglicized form of the Irish patronymic name Ó Séaghdha or Ó Sé, originating in the Kingdom of Corcu Duibne in County Kerry. Historian C. Thomas Cairney states that the O'Sheas were from the Corcu Duibne tribe, who were from the Erainn tribe, the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland from about 500 to 100 BC.
What is the origin of the name Oshea?
Oshea has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Biblical.
How popular is Oshea in 2026?
In 2026, Oshea ranks #2,641 among boys' names in the U.S., with 50 babies given the name that year.
When was Oshea most popular?
Oshea reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #1,638 that year with 64 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Oshea most popular?
Oshea has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Illinois, Virginia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Oshea.
Is Oshea a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Oshea is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Oshea?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Oshea include Haydon, Brendyn, Daequan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Oshea?
Common variants and related forms of Oshea include Hosea, Hoshea. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Oshea

Oshea is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1986 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Oshea's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #1,638. Use the chart and map above to compare Oshea's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

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.