Total births
213,098
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.
- #216
- among boys today
- 213,098
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
213,098 babies have been named Oscar since 1880, making it today's #216 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Oscar recorded 213,098 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #216 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.
- #216 among boys today
- 213,098 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Oscar is currently the #216 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 213,098 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #216
- among boys today
- 213,098
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Oscar vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#216
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Oscar was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
3,601 babies were named Oscar in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Oscar compares
213,098 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 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 581x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Oscar | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 213,098 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,601 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2006
Current rank
#216
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Oscar's total US births 20.0%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 213,098 babies named Oscar. Today it holds rank #216 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2006, with 3,601 births.
When was Oscar most popular? ▼
Oscar was most popular in the 2000s decade with 33,545 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Oscar most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Oscar are California (42,697 births), Texas (37,523 births), New York (9,964 births).
How long has the name Oscar been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Oscar since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Oscar? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Osceola, Oscer, Oscor, Osco, and 3 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Osceola Boy
61 births
Oscer Boy
26 births
Oscor Boy
12 births
Osco Boy
12 births
Oscardaniel Boy
5 births
Compare Oscar side by side: Oscar vs Osceola Oscar vs Oscer Oscar vs Oscor
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Oscar
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Oscar: #216 Boys' Name - 213,098 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/oscar. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.