Boy name · Irish/Norse
Oscar
★ #8 in England & Wales, 2025
Oscar is a boy's name of Irish/Norse origin, meaning "Deer friend; spear of the gods". It was the 8th most popular boys' name in England and Wales in 2025 (ONS). It sits comfortably among the enduring classics, and we file it here as a classic and a vintage-revival name — useful shorthand if you're building a shortlist around a particular feel rather than starting from scratch.
At a glance
- Meaning
- Deer friend; spear of the gods
- Origin
- Irish/Norse
- Name family
- Irish & Scottish , Scandinavian
- Gender
- Boy
- Style
- classic, vintage
- UK rank (2025)
- #8 (ONS)
Names similar to Oscar
Sharing at least one style with Oscar — a starting point if you like the feel but want more options.
Sibling name pairings
Names that share Oscar's style, if you're planning ahead for a brother or sister.
Questions about the name Oscar
What does the name Oscar mean?
Oscar is of Irish/Norse origin and means "Deer friend; spear of the gods".
Is Oscar a popular baby name in the UK?
Yes — Oscar was the 8th most popular boys' name in England and Wales in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (the latest published data). Rankings update yearly; we refresh this page when ONS releases new figures.
What names are similar to Oscar?
Names with a similar style to Oscar include Arthur, Theodore, Felix, Tobias.
For current official UK popularity rankings, see the ONS baby names statistics for England and Wales — the only authoritative live source. Explore more names in our Baby Name Finder, or try our due date calculator if you're just getting started.
Reviewed July 2026.