Oshawn
A modern masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Hebrew "Hosanna".
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Oshawn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oshawn today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oshawn births was 1993 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oshawn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Oshawn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
1993
6 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,878
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Oshawn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oshawn from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 11 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oshawn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Oshawn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oshawn
The name Oshawn is a relatively modern name with uncertain origins. It appears to be a variant spelling or combination of the names Shawn and Owen, both of which have separate histories and roots.
The name Shawn is derived from the Irish name Seán, which is an Anglicized form of the old Irish name Shan or Seaan. This name can be traced back to the old Irish name Seaghdha, which means "old" or "venerated." The earliest recorded use of the name Shawn dates back to the late 16th century in Ireland.
The name Owen, on the other hand, has Welsh origins and is derived from the Welsh name Owain, which itself is a Welsh form of the ancient Celtic name Eugeniu. This name means "well-born" or "noble." The name Owen has been in use since the 12th century and has a long history in Wales and other parts of Britain.
While the name Oshawn itself does not appear to have any direct historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is likely a modern combination or variant spelling of these two older names, Shawn and Owen.
In terms of notable historical figures with the name Oshawn, there are few records available due to the relatively recent emergence of this name. However, some individuals who have borne the name include:
1. Oshawn Jefferson (born 1978), an American professional basketball player who played in several international leagues.
2. Oshawn Wingate (born 1985), an American professional basketball player who played in various leagues around the world.
3. Oshawn Watson (born 1990), an American professional basketball player who played in Europe and Asia.
4. Oshawn Ingram (born 1992), an American professional basketball player who played in various international leagues.
5. Oshawn Miles (born 1995), an American professional basketball player who played in Europe and Asia.
While the name Oshawn does not have a long historical lineage, it appears to be a modern combination or variant spelling of the older names Shawn and Owen, both of which have deep roots in Irish and Welsh culture and history.
People
Oshawn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oshawn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Oshawn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oshawn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oshawn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Oshawn a common name?
We classify Oshawn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oshawn most popular?
The single biggest year for Oshawn was 1993, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oshawn is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Oshawn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oshawn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oshawn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Oshawn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oshawn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Oshawn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Oshawn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.