Oscar

Oscar: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “deer friend”
Origin: Irish
Say it: OSS-kar · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

Usually derived from Irish elements os 'deer' and cara 'friend'. It also appears in Old English and Scandinavian traditions, but the Irish derivation is standard for the given name.

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How popular is Oscar?

2024498 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Oscar in 20241,656

2024 rank#217 boys

Peak year1882

Total US babies since 1880212,533

Oscar is steady now but far below its 1882 peak.

Names like Oscar

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Liamresolute protector · Irish
Aidenlittle fire · Irish
Rowanlittle red-haired one · Irish
Nolandescendant of Nuallán · Irish
Ryanlittle king · Irish
Declanuncertain, possibly full of goodness · Irish
Connorlover of hounds · Irish
Kevinhandsome, gentle, kind · Irish

Oscar questions

What does the name Oscar mean?

Oscar means "deer friend". It comes from Irish. Usually derived from Irish elements os 'deer' and cara 'friend'. It also appears in Old English and Scandinavian traditions, but the Irish derivation is standard for the given name.

Is Oscar a boy or girl name?

Oscar is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Oscar?

1,656 US babies were named Oscar in 2024. Its peak year was 1882.

How do you pronounce Oscar?

Oscar is usually pronounced OSS-kar.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.