Oslo
The given name of Scandinavian origin meaning "Meadow at the Foot of a Hill".
Name Census estimates that about 499 living Americans carry the first name Oslo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oslo today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oslo births was 2022 (94 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oslo. 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 Oslo with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
499
~ 1 in 686,882 Americans
Peak year
2022
94 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,922
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Oslo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oslo from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 351 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
Oslo 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 Oslo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oslos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. California, Texas, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Oslo, while Wisconsin, Utah, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oslo
The name Oslo has its origins in Old Norse, the language spoken by the Norse people from Scandinavia and parts of Northern Europe during the Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "ǫss," which means "estuary" or "inlet," referring to the location of the city of Oslo in Norway, situated at the head of the Oslofjord.
While the exact origin of the name Oslo is uncertain, it is believed to have been derived from the Old Norse word "Ǫslo," which was the original name of the city. This name likely referred to the sheltered location of the settlement, nestled within the fjord.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Oslo dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Old Norse sagas and historical chronicles. One of the most notable references is found in the Heimskringla, a collection of sagas written by the Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), which recounts the history of the Norse kings.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Oslo, though it is relatively uncommon as a given name. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Oslo Engelbrektsson (born around 1390), a Swedish rebel leader who played a significant role in the Engelbrekt Rebellion against the Danish monarch in the 15th century.
Another notable figure was Oslo Johannessen (1560-1624), a Norwegian farmer and landowner who became a prominent figure in the Reformation movement in Norway. He was instrumental in establishing the first Lutheran church in the country.
In the 19th century, Oslo Aunanrud (1808-1883) was a Norwegian painter known for his landscapes and portraits. He is considered one of the pioneers of Norwegian romantic nationalism in art.
More recently, Oslo Østås (1922-2006) was a Norwegian architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the development of modern architecture in Norway during the post-World War II era.
One of the most famous individuals named Oslo in recent times was Oslo Veiby (1922-2015), a Norwegian actor and comedian renowned for his performances in numerous films, television shows, and stage productions throughout his career spanning over six decades.
People
Oslo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oslo 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
Oslo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oslo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 499 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oslo 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 686,882 US residents.
Is Oslo a common name?
We classify Oslo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 502 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oslo most popular?
The single biggest year for Oslo was 2022, when 94 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oslo is about 6 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 Oslo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oslo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oslo 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 Oslo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oslo 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 Oslo 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 Oslo as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Oslo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.