Boys' name · since 1880
Oscar
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 213,098 babies named Oscar, peaking in 2006. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #176 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #223 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 213,098
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
213,098 babies have been named Oscar since 1880, making it today's #223 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Oscar recorded 213,098 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #223 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #176 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #223 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 213,098 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Oscar ranks #176 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #223 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 213,098 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #176 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #223 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 213,098
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
Oscar's 213,098 recorded births place it above 99.61% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Oscar compares
213,098 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Oscar's all-time total is 578x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Oscar | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 213,098 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,601 | 34 | 22,252 |
Oscar's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Oscar splits its recorded history at 1953: 65% of all births land in the more recent half, 35% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1902 (397 births) -- compare that against the 2006 peak of 3,601 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Oscar popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 3,601
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Oscar popularity over time - girls
1,070 total births recorded since 1886 (Oscar as girls' name)
Oscar by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (33,545 births, 16% of the file).
2000s was Oscar's strongest decade.
33,545 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Oscar births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,982
1880s
5,982 births
- 1890s 5,612
1890s
5,612 births
- 1900s 4,517
1900s
4,517 births
- 1910s
1910s
14,869 births
- 1920s
1920s
17,740 births
- 1930s 11,373
1930s
11,373 births
- 1940s 10,188
1940s
10,188 births
- 1950s 11,365
1950s
11,365 births
- 1960s 9,908
1960s
9,908 births
- 1970s 11,847
1970s
11,847 births
- 1980s
1980s
15,661 births
- 1990s
1990s
27,885 births
- 2000s
2000s
33,545 births
- 2010s
2010s
22,260 births
- 2020s 10,346
2020s
10,346 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 33,545 births (16% of all-time use).
How Oscar compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Oscar's total volume
Oscar by state
Where Oscar concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 42,697 | 20.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 37,523 | 17.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 9,964 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 8,876 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Florida | | 6,684 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 6,475 | 3.0% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 5,398 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 5,352 | 2.5% |
42,697 of 213,098 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Oscar appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Oscar? ▼
Where does Oscar sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Oscar most popular? ▼
Where is Oscar most popular? ▼
How long has the name Oscar been used? ▼
What names are similar to Oscar? ▼
What to do with Oscar's data
- Oscar's decade-level peak was the 2000s (33,545 total births); usage has since declined to 10,346 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Oscars (42,697 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Oscar
Nearby Names Like Oscar
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Oscar
Compare Oscar side by side: Oscar vs Osceola Oscar vs Oscer Oscar vs Osco
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Oscar
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Oscar: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2006)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Oscar draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.