Oscar
Oscar: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɑs.kɚ/ · /ˈɒs.kə/
Meaning and origin of Oscar
Root meaning: “deer”
- A male given name from Irish or Old English.
Etymology
Exact origin uncertain. Resuscitated by James Mcpherson in The Works of Ossian (1765). Napoleon, an admirer of the Ossianic poems, chose it for his godson Oscar Bernadotte, who became a king of Sweden. The modern given name is a conflation of two unrelated names: first, Middle Irish Oscar (the name of Fionn Mac Cumhaill's grandson in Irish mythology), from Middle Irish os (“deer”) + cara (“friend”); and second, Old English Ōscār, Ōsgār (personal name, literally “spear of the gods/spear of God”), from Old English ōs (“god”) and gār (“spear”) (see Oswald). Compare German Ansgar (personal name), Danish Asker, Asger (personal name), Norwegian Asgeir (personal name), Icelandic Ásgeir (personal na
How popular is Oscar?
Since 1880, 1,070 girls and 213,098 boys in the U.S. have been named Oscar (0% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #1174 in 1890. Its highest rank for boys was #26 in 1886. In 2025 it ranked #223 for boys, with 1,620 babies given the name.
Oscar FAQ
What does the name Oscar mean?
Oscar traces back to a root meaning "deer". A male given name from Irish or Old English. Exact origin uncertain. Resuscitated by James Mcpherson in The Works of Ossian (1765). Napoleon, an admirer of the Ossianic poems, chose it for his godson Oscar Bernadotte, who became a king of Sweden. The modern given name is a conflation of two unrelated names: first, Middle Irish Oscar (the name of Fionn Mac Cumhaill's grandson in Irish mythology), from Middle Irish os (“deer”) + cara (“friend”); and second, Old English Ōscār, Ōsgār (personal name, literally “spear of the gods/spear of God”), from Old English ōs (“god”) and gār (“spear”) (see Oswald). Compare German Ansgar (personal name), Danish Asker, Asger (personal name), Norwegian Asgeir (personal name), Icelandic Ásgeir (personal na
What is the origin of the name Oscar?
Oscar is listed as a name of Irish or Old English origin.
How popular is the name Oscar?
Since 1880, 1,070 girls and 213,098 boys in the U.S. have been named Oscar (0% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #1174 in 1890. Its highest rank for boys was #26 in 1886. In 2025 it ranked #223 for boys, with 1,620 babies given the name.
Is Oscar a boy or girl name?
Oscar is mostly a boy name in the U.S.: 1,070 girls and 213,098 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.