Oswald
Boy name · #2146 in 2025 · Very rare
Oswald is currently the #2146 boy name in the United States — 67 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3982, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 26,866 boys born in 2025 was named Oswald.
Babies named Oswald per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Oswald first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 9 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1916, when 107 boys were named Oswald — good for #552 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Oswald against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Oswald in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Oswald is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Oswald will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Oswald is most common
State-level data for Oswald is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Oswald
Statistically, parents drawn to Oswald tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Harland, Orrin, Elwood, Orin, and Omer.
HarlandOrrinElwoodOrinOmerCrawfordCasimirSylvan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Oswald | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67 | #2145 |
| 2024 | 70 | #2120 |
| 2023 | 65 | #2188 |
| 2022 | 55 | #2493 |
| 2021 | 54 | #2464 |
| 2020 | 39 | #2980 |
| 2019 | 42 | #2897 |
| 2018 | 41 | #2893 |
| 2017 | 38 | #3071 |
| 2016 | 36 | #3161 |
| 2015 | 26 | #3982 |
| 2014 | 27 | #3787 |
| 2013 | 19 | #4804 |
| 2012 | 14 | #6001 |
| 2011 | 18 | #4983 |
| 2010 | 21 | #4517 |
| 2009 | 19 | #4922 |
| 2008 | 14 | #6070 |
| 2007 | 20 | #4640 |
| 2006 | 18 | #4865 |
| 2005 | 17 | #4824 |
| 2004 | 25 | #3636 |
| 2003 | 23 | #3732 |
| 2002 | 9 | #7055 |
| 2001 | 24 | #3512 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Oswald a popular boy name?
Oswald ranked #2146 among boys in 2025 with 67 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3982.
When was the name Oswald most popular?
Oswald peaked in 1916, when 107 American boys received the name (ranked #552 that year). Since 1916 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Oswald?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 26,866 newborn American boys was named Oswald. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.