boy's name
Oswald
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 5,589
Oswald is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 67 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1916, when 107 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 49,483 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Oswald over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 101 |
| 1890s | 115 |
| 1900s | 141 |
| 1910s | 750 |
| 1920s | 763 |
| 1930s | 375 |
| 1940s | 243 |
| 1950s | 276 |
| 1960s | 218 |
| 1970s | 211 |
| 1980s | 210 |
| 1990s | 183 |
| 2000s | 189 |
| 2010s | 282 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 350 |
How popular is Oswald?
In 2025, Oswald was given to 67 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Oswald is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Oswald
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Oswald also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Oswald over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Oswald in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Oswald
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Oswald — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Oswald
How popular is the name Oswald?
In 2025, Oswald was given to 67 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Oswald a girl's or a boy's name?
Oswald is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Oswald?
Oswald has 2 syllables.
When was Oswald most popular?
Oswald peaked in 1916, when 107 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Oswald a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Oswald currently ranks #1,108 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.