Will my child share the name Oscar with classmates?

Probably not in their specific class, but possible. With around 2,798 UK babies named Oscar per year, your child will likely be the only Oscar in their class. In a school of 600, however, expect to find around ~1.4 others.

Is Oscar becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Oscar has been fairly steady, ranked #8 in 2025 against #7 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #7 in 2013.

What does the name Oscar mean?

The name Oscar has Norse/Irish origins and means "Divine spear; champion warrior". Names with clear etymological roots tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles and give children a story to tell about their name.

Is Oscar a popular baby name in the United States?

Oscar appears in the US top 500 at #217 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.

👦 Boy's name 🔥 Very Popular UK #8

Oscar

Q: Who are some famous people named Oscar?

Notable people named Oscar include: Oscar Ukonu — Oscar Ukonu is a Nigerian ballpoint pen artist based in Lagos, Nigeria.; Oscar (footballer, born 1991) — Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior, known mononymously as Oscar, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.; Oscar Cluff — Oscar Hogarth Cluff is an Australian college basketball player for the Purdue Boilermakers of the Big Ten Conference.

🗳️ Add Oscar to a family shortlist

Oscar is one of the most popular baby names in the UK, ranked #8 in 2025. With 2,798 babies given this name, your child will likely be the only Oscar in their class — but in a school of 600, expect around ~1.4 others.

Origin & Meaning

Norse/Irish — Divine spear; champion warrior

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UK Rank 2025

US Rank #223

About the Name Oscar

Oscar has held its ground, ranked #8 in 2025 and never far from its best of #7 in 2013 — a name with lasting rather than trend-driven appeal. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has spent 27 of the last 30 years inside the UK top 100 — a mark of enduring mainstream appeal.

Etymologically, Oscar comes from Norse/Irish, where it means "Divine spear; champion warrior". Names with strong etymological stories tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles.

Oscar is one of the most popular names in the UK — yet even so, another Oscar turns up in only about 1 class in 7.

In the US it sits at #217 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.

⭐ Famous People Named Oscar

Oscar Ukonu — Oscar Ukonu is a Nigerian ballpoint pen artist based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Oscar (footballer, born 1991) — Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior, known mononymously as Oscar, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Oscar Cluff — Oscar Hogarth Cluff is an Australian college basketball player for the Purdue Boilermakers of the Big Ten Conference.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.