Is Oswald a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Oswald is commonly used as a Boy name.

How popular is Oswald?

It’s currently ranked #854 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

How do you pronounce Oswald?

OZ-wald · IPA: //ˈɒz.wəld//

Oswald Boy

Popularity: #854 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Origin(s)

PronunciationOZ-wald / /ˈɒz.wəld/

Old English; German

Meaning

Old English: God's power; German: divine power

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Oswald has roots in Old English, where it was derived from the elements 'os' meaning 'god' and 'wald' meaning 'power' or 'rule'. It was borne by Saint Oswald, a 7th-century king of Northumbria who became a martyr and is venerated in Christianity. The name has been used in various forms throughout history and has seen periods of popularity in England and Germany. It has also been associated with various historical figures and cultural references.

Trend Summary

Oswald has seen a decline in popularity in the United States, with its peak usage occurring in the early 20th century.

Variants

Os
Ozzie

International Variants

Osvaldo (Spanish/Italian)
Oswaldus (Latin)

Famous people named Oswald

Oswald Cobblepot, also known as The Penguin, is a fictional character from the DC Comics universe, primarily known as an adversary of Batman.

Oswald Mosley was a British politician known for founding the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s.

Oswald Avery was a Canadian-American physician and geneticist who contributed to the discovery of DNA as the material of heredity.

Oswald Spengler was a German historian and philosopher known for his work 'The Decline of the West'.

Fictional characters named Oswald

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is an animated character created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in the 1920s.

Oswald the Octopus is a character from the children's television series 'Oswald', which features his adventures in a whimsical city.

Sibling Suggestions

Oliver Owen Oscar Oren Ophelia Olivia

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Oswald was first seen in the United States in 1880. Oswald has ranked as high as #733 nationally, which occurred in 1916, and has been most popular in New York, California, Texas, Louisiana, and Minnesota. In the past 5 years the name Oswald has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Oswald (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
CA	8	42%
TX	6	32%
PA	5	26%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	9
1881	6
1882	11
1883	10
1884	13
1885	5
1886	16
1887	8
1888	11
1889	12
1890	12
1891	5
1892	11
1893	9
1894	13
1895	13
1896	13
1897	18
1898	10
1899	11
1900	9
1901	15
1902	11
1903	9
1904	9
1905	13
1906	15
1907	19
1908	16
1909	25
1910	29
1911	29
1912	54
1913	64
1914	86
1915	92
1916	107
1917	94
1918	105
1919	90
1920	80
1921	86
1922	80
1923	83
1924	100
1925	84
1926	70
1927	67
1928	62
1929	51
1930	71
1931	52
1932	53
1933	46
1934	29
1935	33
1936	26
1937	27
1938	24
1939	14
1940	18
1941	24
1942	25
1943	17
1944	21
1945	38
1946	18
1947	25
1948	31
1949	26
1950	25
1951	29
1952	25
1953	37
1954	40
1955	20
1956	28
1957	18
1958	30
1959	24
1960	26
1961	28
1962	28
1963	24
1964	18
1965	19
1966	23
1967	11
1968	19
1969	22
1970	27
1971	28
1972	20
1973	19
1974	32
1975	16
1976	16
1977	17
1978	22
1979	14
1980	19
1981	17
1982	22
1983	25
1984	31
1985	21
1986	20
1987	15
1988	18
1989	22
1990	24
1991	22
1992	19
1993	23
1994	17
1995	16
1996	10
1997	18
1998	16
1999	18
2000	20
2001	24
2002	9
2003	23
2004	25
2005	17
2006	18
2007	20
2008	14
2009	19
2010	21
2011	18
2012	14
2013	19
2014	27
2015	26
2016	36
2017	38
2018	41
2019	41
2020	39
2021	54
2022	55
2023	65
2024	70