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Home › Baby Names Directory › Oswald

Oswald

♂ Boy

Pronounced AHZ-wawld /ˈɑz.wɔld/Medium

Meaning: GodMedium

In 30 seconds: Oswald is an English name carrying the element for 'God', from older Anglo-Saxon roots.
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Origin MediumEnglish, German
MeaningGod
U.S. rank (2025)#2161 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births67 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1916
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,406

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191618802025

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

Oswald comes from English by way of the Old English form Osweald, with os meaning a god or divine being. It is an old Anglo-Saxon name that survived into modern use and spread into related continental forms. The divine first element gives it a stately, traditional character.

Its relatives stretch across languages, from the Old English Osweald to the Italian-flavored Osvaldo and Ansaldo. German painter Oswald Achenbach and architect Oswald Mathias Ungers both carried the name.

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

Variations

OswealdOsvaldAnsoaldOsvaldoAnsaldo

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Oswald Achenbach (1827–1905)
    German landscape painter of the Düsseldorf school.
  • ★Oswald Mathias Ungers (1926–2007)
    German architect and architectural theorist.

If you like Oswald…

Osvaldo— A listed Romance-language variation of the same name.
Oscar— Shares the Os- opening drawn from old Germanic naming.
Arnold— a similarly popular pick
Ollie— lands in the same popularity range
Oakland— shares Oswald's English roots

Explore names like Oswald

By themeenglishgerman
By meaningGod / Divine

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Oswald mean?

Oswald is usually explained as meaning 'god' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Oswald?

It's commonly said AHZ-wawld /ˈɑz.wɔld/.

Is Oswald a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Oswald?

In 2024, Oswald ranked #2121 in the U.S. for boys, with 70 births recorded.

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