Oscar?

[Threelittlebirds1]

Really struggling to find a boys name we love. I've always liked Oscar but ruled it out previously due to popularity, I don't actually know any, but aware it's in the top 10.
I'm looking for something fairly traditional but not so popular it's become dull, would love opinions on Oscar please.

I'd also be grateful if anyone can post a link of most recent complete ONS boys list- I can only find top 100 names.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/datasets/babynamesenglandandwalesbabynamesstatisticsboys You need to download the excel.

in my opinion, if you like Oscar just use it. Popularity doesn’t matter and children don’t necessarily want unique names - finding keyrings with your name on them is fun

Names similar to Oscar:

Arthur, Felix, Hugo, Oliver, Henry, Theodore, Walter, Edmund, Rupert, Victor, Lionel, Axel, Magnus, Gustav, Casper, Leif, Leo, Max, Otto, Hugo, Finn.

How do those sound?

I just think of a grown man trying to have a career & social life as "oscar," and cringe.

It might be cute on a toddler but after that is such a clumsy, goofy name.

How about something like Lawrence?

Grandson is Oscar, only one in his school year group, even if not, personally still think it’s better than some of the outlandish names kids get lumbered with. If you like it , fine

Thanks for the link.
I don't mind using a popular name, but I'd rather avoid something really popular if I can find an alternative. Dd has a top 10 name, we chose it as it was our favourite and reasoned that we'd be annoyed if we didn't use it and then there were no others in the class etc...while there aren't any in her class I feel that I can't go anywhere else without hearing it, there's probably an element of confirmation bias, but I do regret not using something less common. On the other hand I have a popular name for my generation and its never bothered me!

What's wrong with Oscar. I personally don't know any but as a teenager Oscar Wilde was one of my favourite authors. Made me realise that old literature could be good. I like the name. Don't understand why someone would think it's goofy.

This comment makes zero sense. It's one of the most popular boys names, and won't stand out in the slightest to his peers. It definitely won't seem clumsy or goofy.

Name trends, and thus how names are perceived change, I genuinely thought that was common knowledge.

Thank you for suggestions, these are definitely along the right lines - Felix, Max and Finn are already on the shortlist and there are some others I like too, thanks.

I don't like it much. In fact it's pretty awful.

Oscar is fine even as an adult definitely not cringy. I prefer Oliver it has imo a better flow to it.

We have an Oscar in the family and love it but also DS is Elliott. I actually prefer Elliott as it is such a classic name but really underused imo. Though given my time over I'd spell it Elliot as it's a constant battle having to correct people!

Oscar is a lovely name OP.
To put the whole name popularity thing in to perspective, using the data from the spreadsheet linked above, out of all the baby boys given top 100 names in 2023, less than 2% of them were named Oscar, even though it's 9th most popular.

I like it and while top 10 is a bit of a niggle, I’d still go for it. I know a teenage Oscar and his name still fits him very well as he is growing up.

Oscar is a lovely name. I've never cared if a name is popular. If you love it, use it.

names with a similar 'feel' to them (Imo) could be:

Jasper
Caspar or Kaspar
Leo
Jonah
Joshua
Orlando
Elliot
Elias
Ezra
Isaac/Izaak

There have been about 3000 Oscars born a year for the last 15 years or so. There's no way it will be awkward or goofy for so many - it's like for example Simon or Andrew was a generation ago. It's an elegant name as well.

It’s not a name I like particularly but I do know a lot of Oscars. Two of my friends have Oscars and there are numerous Oscars in my DC’s year at school.

I have had 3 kids in the last decade and don’t know a single Oscar. Was on our list and didn’t use it due to ‘popularity’! 🙄 do it op!

For a start, the first name is usually spelt Laurence. Oscar is quite ordinary these days, and it isn't clumsy or goofy.
Why on earth would you think a grown man would cringe at saying his name was Oscar?

For a start, the first name is usually spelt Laurence.

That's actually the feminine version of Laurent!

I personally find Oscar overused and think it will start to sound dated soon. It's become too fashionable quickly imo.

I'd personally choose a more classic underused and timeless name!

@bluebunnys ,in French-speaking countries, yes, but not in the UK.

I know a lot of dogs called Oscar so that would put me off.

Oscar isn’t really super traditional sounding imo (since it’s only become popular again in the last couple of decades or so, I see it as more as part of the “Great-Grandad” name trend). But equally imo it has a nice enough sound and I personally think there are more pros than cons to having a popular name, unless your surname is also super popular.

I agree with pp - for “traditional but not popular” boys names look at current Dad’s/Grandad’s names like John, Robert, Phillip, Peter etc. With the 100 year rule, a lot of the Great- Grandad type names like Oscar, Albert, Alfred, Stanley etc feel trendy again but the Dad ones don’t!

But if you aren’t bothered about trends then I think Oscar is fine, it hasn’t done lots of other Oscar’s any harm and no name is so popular now that there are likely to be several in the class. I go to a lot of different baby/toddler classes and personally I only know of 2 young Oscar’s in different classes.

I don’t like it, I’ve known a few from university and it always seemed like a really juvenile, unserious name to me