Total births
4,407
Boys' name · since 1880
Oswald
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 4,407 babies named Oswald, peaking in 1916. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2121
- among boys today
- 4,407
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
4,407 babies have been named Oswald since 1880, making it today's #2121 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Oswald has been recorded 4,407 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2121 nationally and more common than 85% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2121 among boys today
- 4,407 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Oswald is currently the #2121 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 4,407 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2121
- among boys today
- 4,407
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Oswald vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2121
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Oswald was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
107 babies were named Oswald in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
How Oswald compares
4,407 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Oswald's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Oswald | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,407 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 107 | 23 | 22,252 |
Oswald's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Oswald splits its recorded history at 1953: 42% of all births land in the more recent half, 58% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1916 peak of 107 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Oswald at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1916
Current rank
#2,121
Active since
1880
Oswald popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1916)
- 107
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Oswald by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Oswald's strongest decade.
763 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Oswald births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 101
1880s
101 births
- 1890s 115
1890s
115 births
- 1900s 141
1900s
141 births
- 1910s
1910s
750 births
- 1920s
1920s
763 births
- 1930s
1930s
375 births
- 1940s 243
1940s
243 births
- 1950s 276
1950s
276 births
- 1960s 218
1960s
218 births
- 1970s 211
1970s
211 births
- 1980s 210
1980s
210 births
- 1990s 183
1990s
183 births
- 2000s 189
2000s
189 births
- 2010s 282
2010s
282 births
- 2020s
2020s
350 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 763 births (17% of all-time use).
How Oswald 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 Oswald's total volume
Oswald vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Oswald by state
Where Oswald concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 393 | 8.9% |
| #2 | California | | 192 | 4.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 117 | 2.7% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 67 | 1.5% |
| #5 | Minnesota | | 62 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Florida | | 29 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 28 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 27 | 0.6% |
New York share of Oswald's total US births 8.9%
Even split
393 of 4,407 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Oswald appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Oswald? ▼
Oswald has been given to 4,407 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2121 as of the latest data. 107 babies were born in 1916, its single highest year.
When was Oswald most popular? ▼
Oswald was most popular in the 1920s decade with 763 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Oswald most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Oswald are New York (393 births), California (192 births), Texas (117 births).
How long has the name Oswald been used? ▼
Oswald has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Oswald? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Oswaldo, Oswin, Oswell, Oswyn. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Oswald's data
- Oswald's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (763 total births) through the 2020s (350) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Oswalds (393 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Oswald
Nearby Names Like Oswald
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Oswald
Compare Oswald side by side: Oswald vs Oswaldo Oswald vs Oswin Oswald vs Oswell
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Oswald
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. "Oswald: #2121 Boys' Name - 4,407 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/oswald. 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 Oswald 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.