Osker
A masculine variant of the Scandinavian name Oscar, meaning "divine spear."
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Osker. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Osker today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Osker births was 1920 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Osker. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Osker with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Osker is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Oskers were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Osker. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1920
14 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
2007 SSA rank
#13,869
Tracked since 1898
Popularity
Osker: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Osker from the 1890s through to the 2000s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 81 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Osker 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 Osker 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 Osker
The given name Osker is believed to have its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, with roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "áss," which referred to the principal gods in Norse mythology, and the Old English word "Here," meaning army or warrior. The name Osker, therefore, may have initially signified a powerful or valiant individual associated with strength and combat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Osker can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with names rooted in Old Norse, and it is possible that Osker appeared as a minor figure or as a descriptive term for a brave warrior.
During the Middle Ages, the name Osker likely held a presence in various Germanic regions, such as Scandinavia, England, and parts of present-day Germany. While it may not have been a widespread name, it could have been used among noble families or warriors who valued its connotations of strength and bravery.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Osker, records are scarce, but a few notable individuals can be mentioned. Osker the Bold was a Danish warrior who lived in the 10th century and was renowned for his exploits in battles against rival Viking clans. Osker of Saxony, born in 1118, was a German nobleman and military commander who participated in the Crusades.
Another individual of note was Osker the Scribe, who lived in England during the 12th century. He was a monk responsible for transcribing and preserving several important manuscripts, including works of religious and historical significance.
In the 16th century, Osker Eriksson was a Swedish explorer and navigator who made significant contributions to the mapping of the Arctic regions. He led several expeditions and his detailed charts and logs were invaluable for future explorers.
Lastly, Osker Johannsen, born in 1870 in Denmark, was a renowned sculptor whose works were heavily influenced by Norse mythology and the Viking era. His intricate carvings and sculptures depicting scenes from the sagas are considered masterpieces of Danish art.
While the name Osker may not have achieved widespread popularity throughout history, its origins and associations with strength, bravery, and warrior culture have left an indelible mark on the collective memory of the Germanic peoples.
People
Osker + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Osker 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
Osker: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Osker?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Osker 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Osker a common name?
We classify Osker as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 210 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Osker most popular?
The single biggest year for Osker was 1920, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Osker is about 73 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 Osker in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Osker a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Osker 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 Osker still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Osker 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 Osker 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 have the name Osker?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.