Oz
Derived from the Hebrew name Ozri, a diminutive of Azaryah meaning "God is my help".
Name Census estimates that about 637 living Americans carry the first name Oz. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oz today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oz births was 2019 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oz. 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.
People living today
637
~ 1 in 538,076 Americans
Peak year
2019
45 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,075
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Oz: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oz from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 289 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Oz remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oz 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 Oz during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oz' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Oz, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oz
Oz is a relatively uncommon given name with an intriguing history that spans various cultures and languages. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Persian word "uz," which meant "wise" or "powerful." This name found its way into the Arabic language and became a popular name among Muslims, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Oz can be found in ancient Persian texts and inscriptions dating back to the 6th century BCE. During this period, the name was often associated with scholars, philosophers, and men of great wisdom and learning. One notable figure from this era was Oz of Shiraz, a renowned poet and philosopher who lived in the 9th century CE and whose works significantly influenced the literary and intellectual traditions of the region.
As Islam spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the name Oz gained popularity among Muslim communities. It was often given to boys as a symbol of intelligence, strength, and virtue. In the 12th century, an influential Islamic scholar and jurist named Oz al-Din al-Ghazali made significant contributions to the development of Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy, further increasing the name's prominence.
The name Oz also appears in various historical records and literary works from the Ottoman Empire. One of the most notable figures bearing this name was Oz Bey, a powerful military commander and statesman who lived in the 16th century and played a crucial role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent.
Beyond the Middle East and North Africa, the name Oz has also been adopted in various other cultures and regions. In the 20th century, Oz Murid, a prominent Indian freedom fighter and politician, was a notable figure who carried this name. He played an instrumental role in the Indian independence movement and served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
Another notable individual with the name Oz was Oz Anwar, an Indonesian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999. His contributions to Indonesia's foreign policy and international relations during a critical period in the country's history earned him widespread recognition and respect.
While the name Oz may not be as common as other names in modern times, its rich history and diverse cultural associations have made it a unique and intriguing choice for parents seeking a name with a strong connection to wisdom, power, and resilience.
People
Oz + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oz 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
Oz: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oz?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 637 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oz 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 538,076 US residents.
Is Oz a common name?
We classify Oz as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 643 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oz most popular?
The single biggest year for Oz was 2019, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oz is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oz a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oz 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.
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.