Boy name · Irish Gaelic
Oscar
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: possibly deer friendOscar is a boy's name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "possibly deer friend". It is used in English, Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, Dutch and French and more.
- Meaning
- Possibly deer friend
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #223 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Oscar
As a boy's name, Oscar comes from Irish Gaelic and means "possibly deer friend". It is used in English, Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, Dutch, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Oscar on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Oscar on 3 lists.
“Irish, possibly meaning deer friend; dapper and grown-up”
From Boy cat names, classic boy cat names
“Award-worthy outfits only”
From Porch goose names, boy porch goose names
“Award-winning charm in a small package”
From Taco Bell chihuahua name, boy chihuahua names
How popular is Oscar?
- US rank in 2025
- #223
- 1,620 babies, 948 per million boys
- Best rank
- #26 in 1886
- Most babies: 3,601 in 2006
- Babies since 1880
- At least 213,098
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5,461 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4,919 per million |
| 1900s | 3,327 per million |
| 1910s | 2,228 per million |
| 1920s | 1,610 per million |
| 1930s | 1,076 per million |
| 1940s | 684 per million |
| 1950s | 562 per million |
| 1960s | 514 per million |
| 1970s | 717 per million |
| 1980s | 848 per million |
| 1990s | 1,431 per million |
| 2000s | 1,681 per million |
| 2010s | 1,184 per million |
| 2020s | 998 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #177 | #192 | #206 | #205 | #214 | #226 | #201 | #216 | #216 | #223 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Oscar
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- OsianLittle deer (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Names spelled like Oscar
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- OmarLong-lived, flourishing (Arabic, boy)
- OrvarArrow (Old Norse, boy)
- OsherHappiness (Hebrew, unisex)
- OsmanBaby bustard (a bird) (Arabic, boy)
- OttarDread warrior (Old Norse, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- AilaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín (Hawaiian, girl)
- AilanyVariant of Ailani, possibly Hawaiian, to rule as chief (Hawaiian, girl)
- ArlethVariant of Arlette, from Herleva, possibly army and legacy (Germanic, girl)
- AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
- BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
- CaraFriend in Irish; beloved in Italian (Irish and Italian, girl)
- EdenPossibly delight, pleasure (Hebrew, unisex)
Middle names for Oscar
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Irish Gaelic
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BarryFair-haired (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Oscar: common questions
What does the name Oscar mean?
Oscar comes from Irish Gaelic and means "possibly deer friend". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Oscar a boy or girl name?
Oscar is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Oscar come from?
Oscar comes from Irish Gaelic and means "possibly deer friend". Today it is used in English, Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, Dutch and French.
How popular is the name Oscar?
Oscar ranked #223 in the US in 2025, with 1,620 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Oscar?
Forms of Oscar with the same meaning and origin include Osian (Welsh).
What middle names go with Oscar?
Middle names that flow well with Oscar include Archer, Benjamin, Fletcher, Glenn and Leland. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.