Oswell
Of Anglo-Saxon origin, denoting the domestic household or estate of a person.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Oswell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oswell today is around 101 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oswell births was 1917 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oswell. 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
- • The typical person named Oswell is about 101 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Oswells were born before 1935.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Oswell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1917
10 babies that year
Average age
101
years old
1928 SSA rank
#3,620
Tracked since 1894
Popularity
Oswell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oswell from the 1890s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 42 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
Oswell 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 Oswell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oswells live
Origin
Meaning and history of Oswell
The given name Oswell has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the elements "os" meaning "God" and "walu" meaning "power" or "strength". It essentially translates to "the power of God" or "God's strength". This name emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
Oswell was a relatively uncommon name during the Middle Ages, but it did appear in a few historical records and manuscripts from that era. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Domesday Book of 1086, which listed an individual named Oswell of Lincolnshire.
In the 12th century, an English monk and chronicler named Oswell was known for his writings on the history of the Cistercian order. He lived and worked at the Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire.
During the 13th century, a notable figure named Oswell de Wycliffe was a member of the gentry in Yorkshire. He was the ancestor of the renowned philosopher and theologian John Wycliffe, who played a significant role in the translation of the Bible into English.
In the 15th century, an English soldier named Oswell Wolstenholme fought in the Wars of the Roses. He was knighted for his bravery and loyalty to the House of Lancaster.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Oswell Smythe, who lived in the 16th century. He was a member of the English gentry and served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
As time passed, the name Oswell became increasingly rare, and its usage declined significantly. However, it has continued to be used sporadically throughout history, with some individuals bearing this name in more recent times.
People
Oswell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oswell 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
Oswell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oswell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oswell 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Oswell a common name?
We classify Oswell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 84 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oswell most popular?
The single biggest year for Oswell was 1917, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oswell is about 101 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 Oswell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oswell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oswell 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 Oswell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oswell 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 Oswell 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 Oswell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.