unisex name · in the US
Ozzy
OZ-ee (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 6,212
the United States
#549
2025 births
Ozzy is a boy's name of Old English origin meaning "god-spear." It is a pet form of Oswald or Osborn, from os, a god, and its modern life belongs almost entirely to one Birmingham singer.
- Ozzy is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 618 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,365 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1982.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ozzy Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1980s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 69 |
| 1990s | 233 |
| 2000s | 544 |
| 2010s | 789 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,899 |
What Ozzy Means
Ozzy means divine power or god-spear, depending on its parent. The os element means a god — specifically one of the Æsir, the Norse and Germanic gods — so the name carries pre-Christian religion in it.
Where Ozzy Comes From
Ozzy shortens Oswald, from the Old English os, a god, and weald, power, or Osborn, god-bear. The os element is pagan: it refers to the Æsir, the Germanic gods, and survives in Oswin, Osmund and Osbert. Saint Oswald, king of Northumbria, made the name acceptable after conversion. Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne in Aston in 1948, took the nickname from his surname rather than from Oswald, and is the reason the form is used at all.
Ozzy in Use
Birth records show Ozzy rising and it first appears in birth records in 1982, though it was negligible until the 2000s. It belongs to the British pet-form cluster with Alfie, Albie, Freddie and Archie — names registered in their own right in Britain and almost nowhere else.
How Popular Is Ozzy?
In 2025, Ozzy was given to 618 babies in the United States, ranking #549 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Ozzy 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 Ozzy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Ozzy Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ozzy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Ozzy is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 11% girls · 3,341 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 1% girls · 1,034 babies
- Canada Boys' 5% girls · 270 babies
- Scotland Boys' 0% girls · 57 babies
How to Say Ozzy
- English OZ-ee /ˈɒzi/
1 nickname for Ozzy
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ozzy 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 Ozzy
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Ozzy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Ozzy
What does the name Ozzy mean?
Ozzy means "god-spear" or divine power, from the Old English os, a god, by way of Oswald.
Is Ozzy short for Oswald?
Traditionally yes, or Osborn — though Ozzy Osbourne took his from his surname.
Is the os element pagan?
Yes. It refers to the Æsir, the Germanic gods, and survives in Oswald, Osmund and Osbert.
How popular is the name Ozzy?
In 2025, Ozzy was given to 618 babies in the United States, ranking #549 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Ozzy a girl's or a boy's name?
Ozzy is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ozzy?
Ozzy has 2 syllables.
When was Ozzy most popular?
Ozzy peaked in 2025, when 618 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ozzy?
Ozzy is usually shortened to Oz.
Is Ozzy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ozzy currently ranks #191 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.