Oscar
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- OS-ka
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #8 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #223 for boys
- Style
- Classic
Oscar is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “deer lover”. In 2025 it ranked 8th for boys in the UK (3,018 babies) and 223rd for boys in the US (1,620 babies).
What does Oscar mean?
Irish: from Irish legend, spread by Macpherson's Ossian poems
“deer lover”
In Irish legend Oscar was the grandson of Fionn mac Cumhaill; the name was also borne by Oscar Wilde.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Oscar a girl's or a boy's name?
Oscar is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 3,018 boys in the UK and 1,620 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Oscar in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 8th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 3,018 about 1 in 99 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 18% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 13% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 3,018 boys in the UK were named Oscar, making it the 8th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 8th. Its busiest year was 2013, with 4,778 boys.
Half of all the boys named Oscar in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 8th in England and Wales, 20th in Scotland and 25th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2004 (#59), 2014 (#8) and 2024 (#9).
Oscar in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,018 | #8 |
| 2024 | 2,951 | #8 |
| 2023 | 2,837 | #8 |
| 2022 | 3,098 | #8 |
| 2021 | 3,288 | #9 |
| 2020 | 3,467 | #8 |
| 2019 | 3,575 | #10 |
| 2018 | 3,698 | #10 |
| 2017 | 3,986 | #9 |
| 2016 | 4,158 | #10 |
| 2015 | 4,348 | #10 |
| 2014 | 4,580 | #9 |
| 2013 | 4,778 | #8 |
| 2012 | 3,462 | #19 |
| 2011 | 3,413 | #17 |
| 2010 | 3,209 | #21 |
| 2009 | 3,080 | #24 |
| 2008 | 2,536 | #31 |
| 2007 | 1,858 | #47 |
| 2006 | 1,580 | #50 |
| 2005 | 1,297 | #58 |
| 2004 | 1,148 | #67 |
| 2003 | 1,024 | #70 |
| 2002 | 872 | #78 |
| 2001 | 797 | #84 |
| 2000 | 629 | #98 |
| 1999 | 612 | #100 |
| 1998 | 498 | #115 |
| 1997 | 416 | #119 |
| 1996 | 316 | #138 |
How popular is Oscar in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 223rd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,620 about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 11% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,620 boys in the US were named Oscar, making it the 223rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 214th. Its busiest year was 2006, with 3,601 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Oscar than any year since 1986.
Half of all the boys named Oscar in the US since 1880 were born between 1933 and 2003, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,713 boys in the US were given Oscar or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #230.
- Oscar 1,620
- Oskar 93
Oscar in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,620 | #223 |
| 2024 | 1,669 | #216 |
| 2023 | 1,702 | #216 |
| 2022 | 1,892 | #201 |
| 2021 | 1,697 | #226 |
| 2020 | 1,766 | #214 |
| 2019 | 1,892 | #205 |
| 2018 | 1,956 | #206 |
| 2017 | 2,048 | #192 |
| 2016 | 2,261 | #176 |
| 2015 | 2,299 | #181 |
| 2014 | 2,321 | #184 |
| 2013 | 2,242 | #178 |
| 2012 | 2,198 | #177 |
| 2011 | 2,378 | #162 |
| 2010 | 2,665 | #147 |
| 2009 | 3,117 | #131 |
| 2008 | 3,563 | #120 |
| 2007 | 3,548 | #121 |
| 2006 | 3,601 | #118 |
| 2005 | 3,461 | #117 |
| 2004 | 3,348 | #123 |
| 2003 | 3,301 | #122 |
| 2002 | 3,233 | #120 |
| 2001 | 3,195 | #122 |
| 2000 | 3,178 | #122 |
| 1999 | 3,126 | #116 |
| 1998 | 3,006 | #129 |
| 1997 | 2,970 | #127 |
| 1996 | 3,000 | #125 |
| 1995 | 2,730 | #130 |
| 1994 | 2,847 | #122 |
| 1993 | 2,847 | #123 |
| 1992 | 2,586 | #130 |
| 1991 | 2,445 | #134 |
| 1990 | 2,328 | #135 |
| 1989 | 1,966 | #152 |
| 1988 | 1,733 | #160 |
| 1987 | 1,661 | #163 |
| 1986 | 1,572 | #169 |
| 1985 | 1,592 | #169 |
| 1984 | 1,421 | #178 |
| 1983 | 1,370 | #183 |
| 1982 | 1,486 | #175 |
| 1981 | 1,464 | #171 |
| 1980 | 1,396 | #175 |
| 1979 | 1,312 | #184 |
| 1978 | 1,311 | #179 |
| 1977 | 1,273 | #181 |
| 1976 | 1,231 | #183 |
| 1975 | 1,235 | #184 |
| 1974 | 1,198 | #189 |
| 1973 | 1,068 | #203 |
| 1972 | 1,111 | #205 |
| 1971 | 1,066 | #220 |
| 1970 | 1,042 | #225 |
| 1969 | 1,004 | #229 |
| 1968 | 903 | #238 |
| 1967 | 934 | #234 |
| 1966 | 943 | #228 |
| 1965 | 989 | #232 |
| 1964 | 999 | #244 |
| 1963 | 1,021 | #235 |
| 1962 | 1,007 | #245 |
| 1961 | 1,042 | #245 |
| 1960 | 1,066 | #245 |
| 1959 | 1,087 | #243 |
| 1958 | 1,070 | #237 |
| 1957 | 1,200 | #217 |
| 1956 | 1,132 | #217 |
| 1955 | 1,155 | #211 |
| 1954 | 1,268 | #197 |
| 1953 | 1,196 | #203 |
| 1952 | 1,087 | #202 |
| 1951 | 1,067 | #199 |
| 1950 | 1,103 | #192 |
| 1949 | 1,124 | #186 |
| 1948 | 1,098 | #184 |
| 1947 | 1,110 | #186 |
| 1946 | 1,017 | #182 |
| 1945 | 939 | #176 |
| 1944 | 910 | #178 |
| 1943 | 1,074 | #169 |
| 1942 | 958 | #172 |
| 1941 | 1,022 | #165 |
| 1940 | 936 | #167 |
| 1939 | 1,000 | #159 |
| 1938 | 1,024 | #158 |
| 1937 | 988 | #154 |
| 1936 | 1,008 | #153 |
| 1935 | 1,091 | #143 |
| 1934 | 1,096 | #143 |
| 1933 | 1,111 | #142 |
| 1932 | 1,254 | #138 |
| 1931 | 1,334 | #129 |
| 1930 | 1,467 | #124 |
| 1929 | 1,482 | #117 |
| 1928 | 1,464 | #122 |
| 1927 | 1,635 | #113 |
| 1926 | 1,715 | #105 |
| 1925 | 1,754 | #99 |
| 1924 | 1,819 | #99 |
| 1923 | 1,880 | #96 |
| 1922 | 2,007 | #92 |
| 1921 | 1,978 | #92 |
| 1920 | 2,006 | #90 |
| 1919 | 1,991 | #88 |
| 1918 | 2,113 | #87 |
| 1917 | 1,961 | #87 |
| 1916 | 1,916 | #86 |
| 1915 | 1,788 | #88 |
| 1914 | 1,553 | #77 |
| 1913 | 1,249 | #76 |
| 1912 | 1,157 | #73 |
| 1911 | 636 | #68 |
| 1910 | 505 | #73 |
| 1909 | 459 | #70 |
| 1908 | 476 | #65 |
| 1907 | 483 | #59 |
| 1906 | 412 | #64 |
| 1905 | 436 | #56 |
| 1904 | 442 | #54 |
| 1903 | 427 | #51 |
| 1902 | 397 | #55 |
| 1901 | 422 | #47 |
| 1900 | 563 | #47 |
| 1899 | 447 | #46 |
| 1898 | 546 | #41 |
| 1897 | 543 | #37 |
| 1896 | 539 | #40 |
| 1895 | 549 | #39 |
| 1894 | 601 | #34 |
| 1893 | 574 | #32 |
| 1892 | 634 | #33 |
| 1891 | 551 | #32 |
| 1890 | 628 | #29 |
| 1889 | 572 | #32 |
| 1888 | 647 | #31 |
| 1887 | 574 | #29 |
| 1886 | 645 | #26 |
| 1885 | 623 | #28 |
| 1884 | 615 | #30 |
| 1883 | 607 | #26 |
| 1882 | 625 | #28 |
| 1881 | 530 | #28 |
| 1880 | 544 | #29 |
Nicknames for Oscar
- Ossie
- Ozzie 46 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Oscar
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Reuben, Oliver, Leo, Archie, Henry, Finley, Arthur, Charlie, Noah, Isaac, Theo, Louie
Other spellings of Oscar
More Irish names
Rowan, Rory, Maeve, Finn, Aiden, Ryan, Nolan, Quinn, Orla, Cody, Erin, Ronan, Connor, Declan, Casey, Kennedy
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Oscar: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/oscar, updated 20 October 2026.