Boy name · Old English
Oswald
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: power of a godOswald is a boy's name that comes from Old English and means "power of a god". It is used in English and German.
- Meaning
- Power of a god
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #2161 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Oswald
As a boy's name, Oswald comes from Old English and means "power of a god". It is used in English and German.
Oswald is also a surname: the 2,536th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 13,878 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Oswald on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Oswald on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Oswald on 5 lists.
“Old English for god's power, quirky and dignified”
From Boy dog names, distinguished names for gentleman dogs
“Old English for divine power; very distinguished”
From Bunny names, boy bunny names
“Power of a god; Old English. A saintly king of Northumbria”
From Classic boy names, royal and noble boy names
“Divine power; Old English. A Northumbrian king and saint, 7th century”
From Medieval names and surnames, anglo-Saxon and Old English names
“Power of a god; Old English. Ozzie for short”
From Old man names, distinguished old man names
How popular is Oswald?
- US rank in 2025
- #2,161
- 67 babies, 39 per million boys
- Best rank
- #465 in 1886
- Most babies: 107 in 1916
- Babies since 1880
- At least 4,407
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 92 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 101 per million |
| 1900s | 104 per million |
| 1910s | 112 per million |
| 1920s | 69 per million |
| 1930s | 35 per million |
| 1940s | 16 per million |
| 1950s | 14 per million |
| 1960s | 11 per million |
| 1970s | 13 per million |
| 1980s | 11 per million |
| 1990s | 9 per million |
| 2000s | 9 per million |
| 2010s | 15 per million |
| 2020s | 34 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,205 | #3,108 | #2,927 | #2,927 | #3,015 | #2,485 | #2,507 | #2,212 | #2,128 | #2,161 |
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 Oswald
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- OsvaldoGod's power (Old English, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- GeraldPower of the spear (Germanic, boy)
- GeraldinePower of the spear (Germanic, girl)
- AishwaryaProsperity, power (Sanskrit, girl)
- AmandlaPower, strength (Zulu, unisex)
- ArnaldoEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- ArnauEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- ArnaudEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldoEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- BriannaVariant of Briana, feminine of Brian, possibly high or power (Irish Gaelic, girl)
Middle names for Oswald
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
Oswald: common questions
What does the name Oswald mean?
Oswald comes from Old English and means "power of a god".
Is Oswald a boy or girl name?
Oswald is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Oswald come from?
Oswald comes from Old English and means "power of a god". Today it is used in English and German.
How popular is the name Oswald?
Oswald ranked #2,161 in the US in 2025, with 67 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Oswald?
Forms of Oswald with the same meaning and origin include Osvaldo (Spanish).
What middle names go with Oswald?
Middle names that flow well with Oswald include Alton, Eli, Heath, Isaac and Max. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.