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Oskar

Boy name · 435 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Oskar: 435 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 37 births in 2014.

Of German origin, Oskar is a variant of the Irish name Oscar, which likely combines the Old Irish elements *os* ("deer") and *carae* ("friend"), meaning "deer-friend" or "lover of deer." It gained significant popularity across Europe through the Ossianic poems of James Macpherson, which romanticised the legendary Irish warrior Oscar. Famous bearers include Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved over a thousand Jewish lives during the Holocaust, and Polish composer Oskar Kolberg, who preserved folk music. The name has strong place connections: Oskarshamn in Sweden was named after King Oscar I, while the Oscar statuette—though spelled differently—shares the same root. A fun note: in Scotland, Oskar has steadily risen in use since the 2000s.