Name of the Week

 

Irish. Literarary. Legendary. Victorian. 
It's hard to pin Oscar down, but he certainly has style.

 

Origin:

There are two possible origins for Oscar: 1) From the Old Irish os "deer" and cara "friend; lover of." Oscar appears in Irish mythology as the grandson of Fionn mac Cumhaill.  2) From the Old English Osgar, os "a god" and gar "spear". It was in use prior to the Norman Conquest but does not seem to have lasted much beyond.  The Oscar of Irish legend is sometimes found in Old Irish texts as Osgar. It is possible that the name was carried over to Ireland by the Vikings in the form Asgeirr (a cognate of the OE Osgar) and homophonised with Oscar.

Usage:

Beyond its use in mythology, the name appears in early Irish records among the ancestors of the O'Connors of Clare. In the fourteenth century it saw some use among the Maguires.  The name became popularised in Europe in the 18th century with the hugely popular Ossianic Poems by Scottish poet James Macpherson. Napoleon was a great admirer of Macpherson and even bestowed the name as a second name for his godson, who later became King Oscar I of Sweden in 1844. His son became Oscar II.  The name's royal connections led to it becoming widespread in Europe. The impact can be seen in Britain, in particular, from the 1880s with the widespread popularity of the the works of Oscar Wilde.  In 2010 the name ranked #19 in England and Wales with 3035 births. Over the last decade the name has been steadily rising from its rank of #90 in 2000. In Scotland, the name ranked #68 in 2011 with 103 births.

Famous Bearers:

* Oscar appears in the Finn tales as the son of Oisin, one of the warriors of the Fianna. * Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was a notable Irish poet and writer.  * Oscar has been used by the Swedish royal family since the succession of Oscar I in 1844. * Oscar Peterson (1925–2007) was a Canadian jazz musician and composer.  * Oscar Hammerstein (1895–1960) was an American theatre producer, director and lyracist. * Oscar de la Renta (b. 1932) is an internationally renowned fashion designer.

Variants:

Oskar (German, Czech, Polish, Swedish), Oskari (Finnish), Oskars (Latvian)

Possible Diminutives:

Oggy, Ozzie

Sibling Names:

Charlotte     Daisy     Matilda    Amelie     Kitty     Ella  Archie     Harvey     Finlay     Louis     Hugo    Lucas

Name Lists:

Cosy Celtic   Upright Elegance   Victorian Darlings   Demi-Gods and Mortals of Mythology   Royal Names of Europe  Operatic Appellations   February Names

 

If you like Oscar you may also like:   Osborn, Oliver, Eoghan, Ossian, Duncan, Edmund, Otto, Stanley, Lorcan, Douglas