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Home › Baby Names Directory › Oskar

Oskar

♂ Boy

Pronounced OSS-kar /ˈɑs.kɑɹ/Medium

Meaning: Form of Oscar, from Gaelic 'os' (deer) and 'cara' (friend), 'deer friend'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Oskar is a form of Oscar, usually traced to the Gaelic 'os' (deer) and 'cara' (friend), giving 'deer friend'.
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Origin MediumGerman, Swedish, Norwegian
MeaningForm of Oscar, from Gaelic 'os' (deer) and 'cara' (friend), 'deer friend'.
U.S. rank (2025)#1750 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births93 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2016
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,241

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201619162025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The standard reading of this name combines Gaelic words for deer and friend, yielding the sense of a friend of deer. Oskar is the spelling favored in German, Nordic, and Central European usage. It keeps the same meaning as Oscar while signaling that regional home.

Forms like the Finnish Oskari, Catalan Òscar, and Hungarian Oszkár show its reach across Europe. The German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who saved more than a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, is a well-known bearer.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Oskar is 'origin uncertain', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Oskar — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

OscarOskariÒscarOssieOszkár

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Oskar Schindler (1908-1974)
    German industrialist who saved more than a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories, later depicted in the film 'Schindler's List'.

If you like Oskar…

Oscar— the standard spelling Oskar varies, with the same 'deer friend' meaning
Oswald— a fellow German choice
Kellen— another German name
Jakob— lands in the same popularity range
Decker— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Oskar

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Oskar mean?

Oskar is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with German tradition.

How do you pronounce Oskar?

It's commonly said OSS-kar /ˈɑs.kɑɹ/.

Is Oskar a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Oskar is used as a boy name.

How popular is Oskar?

In 2024, Oskar ranked #1721 in the U.S. for boys, with 96 births recorded.

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