Boy · Old English and Irish · International

Oscar

Say it OS-ker

Meaning today: God's spear, friend of deer
Original meaning: ""god's spear": Old English Osgar, from os, "god", and gar, "spear"" Online Etymology Dictionary
Say it: OS-ker
Other spellings: Oskar

See it as a full name

Oscar

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Oscar meaning

Oscar is an international boy's name of Old English and Irish origin.

"god's spear": Old English Osgar, from os, "god", and gar, "spear"

Also used to mean: friend of deer

Oscar has two strands. The Online Etymology Dictionary derives it from Old English Osgar, built from os, 'a god', found only in personal names, and gar, 'spear'. In Irish legend Oscar is the warrior grandson of Fionn mac Cumhaill and son of Oisín, and that name is often read as os, 'deer', plus cara, 'friend'; Ó Dónaill confirms os as an old literary word for deer. The name appears in James Macpherson's Ossian poems of the 1760s, and Sweden and Norway had kings of the name. Later bearers include Oscar Wilde, and the Academy Award statuette is nicknamed the Oscar. It is said OS-ker.

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com) · entry Oscar · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Oscar · Ó Dónaill, os · Wikipedia, Oscar (given name)