Boy's name

Oscar

“OSS-kar”

IPA: /ˈɔsˠkəɾˠ/

os + cara, 'deer-lover' or 'friend of deer'

Oscur

The story behind the name

Oscar was Oisín's son and the fiercest of the Fianna, killed at the battle of Gabhra. Macpherson's 'Ossian' carried the name to the Continent, where Napoleon's admiration for the poems led to a king of Sweden being christened Oscar — and Oscar Wilde being named after him.

Its age Associated with 1854 — Land & Liberty. See Ireland in that year on the atlas ↗

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Oscar?

Oscar is pronounced “OSS-kar” (IPA: ˈɔsˠkəɾˠ). Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Oscar mean?

Oscar means os + cara, 'deer-lover' or 'friend of deer'.

Is Oscar a boy's or a girl's name?

Oscar is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How popular is the name Oscar in Ireland?

Oscar was the number 31 boys' name in the Republic of Ireland in 2025, from number 45 ten years earlier. Its best year was 2021, at number 30. Source: the CSO's register of names given three or more times.

How else is Oscar spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Oscur. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

In the register

#31 for boys in 2025 (#45 in 2015) · best: #30 in 2021

The full register → CSO, Republic of Ireland, names given three or more times.

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z