DH and I are expecting our 2nd born in mid [name_u]July[/name_u]. We are excited to be having a little brother for our four year old daughter.
We both love the name [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] and have had our hearts set on this name for quite some time (our daughter would have been [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]), that is, until my daughter started pre-school and all of a sudden we were surrounded by Oscars! I seriously didn’t realise how popular this name has now become.
I’ve got to admit that a too-popular name does bother me somewhat. It makes me question whether this name is just a bit too ‘trendy’ currently, and whether it will end up dating? By this I mean - will there be a whole new generation of Oscars, kind of like the rise of Mikes and Michelles in the 80’s??
What do you think? Is [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] a classic or is it a current fad that will end up sounding so 2017/2018 in years to come??
It’s hard to say for sure. I totally understand why it’s been revived, because it’s got that Old World feel that’s come back in style lately, and it works very well with a lot of surnames from a lot of ethnic heritages.
But for ages and ages it just wasn’t happening, because parents didn’t want their kids to get teased at school about being a grouch. “[name_f]Sesame[/name_f] [name_m]Street[/name_m]” isn’t as big a deal among kids today as it was when I was that age, so that’s not as big a worry as it used to be. But then again, boy names now have a much bigger cycle of going in and out of style than they used to.
So I just don’t know if it’s back for the long haul, or if it’s just a trend that’s going to date badly.
Thank you for your explanation You’re spot on! I love the name because of its Old World feel, yet I feel it’s quite a friendly and ‘jovial’ (as Nameberry cleverly describes it as) name. But I’m with you on this one - I’ve no idea if it will stick?
If you look at the popularity statistics in the US, it’s never dipped below the 250 mark, so I think that definitely qualifies it as a classic. While it’s relatively popular right now, it also doesn’t seem to be skyrocketing towards the top. If anything, I see it gaining some popularity from people using it as an alternative to [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] which has become hugely popular in recent years. But unlike [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], I think [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] will cap out much sooner. I do think [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] will remain relatively popular and will probably rise a bit, but I don’t see it becoming the next [name_u]Michael[/name_u]. The name was actually more popular in the 90’s and early 2000’s than it is currently.
I think it’s a classic. It definitely feels fresh, but it’s got a storied history in a lot of languages (particularly the Germanic ones) and will endure.
Oh, [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is seriously such a dreamy name. It’s got heart and class and warmth. Then again: I’m biased, because we named our youngest [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m]! He’s almost 2 now, and the only [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] we know. Everyone adores both him and his name, and it really suits him: he is one of those kids that spreads joy and a healthy dash of mischief wherever he goes, both qualities I associate with an [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]. No one has ever brought up [name_f]Sesame[/name_f] [name_m]Street[/name_m] or grouchiness. I feel like it will date well, mainly because it has already dated well: we named him after the dashing, astute, compassionate [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Wilde, who rocked the name centuries ago!
One woman’s opinion: I’ve said his name now about a zillion times since his birth and I still [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] it. The sound of it, the clean look of it, that round initial O, all of it hasn’t even come close to losing it’s appeal. <3 Best of luck with your decision!
Are you in the US? [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is #176 for 2016. I don’t think a name below the top 100 will get tied to a certain decade since people are not likely to know a bunch of people of the same age with the same name.
I’m in the UK and I’d personally consider [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is quite trendy and may tie him to a specific time of birth, i.e. the 2000s and 2010s. If you’re in the US, I get the feeling that [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is more of an up-and-coming name, so I think the popularity probably won’t wane there any time soon and even get more popular. That being said, it’s not an unpleasant name, nor is it WILDLY popular the same way as similar name [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] is (in the UK) for example and, as I always think, a popular name has to be popular because it has a lot of qualities that parents today hold as ideal in the modern world - it is cross-cultural, easy to pronounce and spell across languages, and has a lot of interesting history and famous namesakes. So, ‘trendiness’ need not always be a negative! And a little [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] may think it’s cool that he shares his name with a friend or two.
However, if trendiness bothers you anyhow, may I ask whether you have considered similar alternatives? I feel like [name_m]Otis[/name_m], [name_m]Angus[/name_m], [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], Skandar and [name_m]Silas[/name_m] have similar vibes and contain some of the same sounds without being quite as popular.
Its a classic, and therefore though it currently extremely popular, I don’t think it will ever feel dated. I personally always think of [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Wilde.
I saw the name of the post was “[name_m]Will[/name_m] [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Date” and the first thing I thought was, “[name_m]How[/name_m] can you possibly know if a child with a certain name will ever be involved in the dating world?” Haha. This makes a lot more sense.
I agree with the general consensus. I also think that it’s so difficult to tell whether a name is trendy or perennially classic that in almost every case, use what you love. If the idea that it could be tied to a certain generation bugs you, you may want to keep searching. If not, [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is a great name!
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is our number one choice if this babe is a boy. Can I ask what state you live in where you’re seeing the name a lot? Because we don’t know any babies yet at daycare or elementary school with the name (we are in Iowa, and it is not in the top 100 of our state.)
On the overall SSA list, it is at number 176 with 2251 births in 2016. [name_f]Do[/name_f] I think it will be the next [name_u]Michael[/name_u]/[name_f]Michelle[/name_f]? No. Because babies are given a much wider variety of names now compared to the past. Example: In 1980, [name_f]Michelle[/name_f] was ranked #10, with 19,122 births. In 2016, the #10 name was [name_u]Harper[/name_u] with 10,733. Almost 9000 less babies with the #10 name.
Also, [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] has been around for so long, steadily in the top 300 or higher. [name_f]Do[/name_f] I think it might hit a surge of popularity? Maybe. [name_f]Do[/name_f] I worry about that myself if we choose to use this name? Yeah, to be honest, a little bit. But, I truly don’t think it will be another [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] or [name_u]Ayden[/name_u] or similar.
tenderfoot garden, may I please ask where you are based? I live in Australia and I think I must have been living under a rock the last few years because it seems that all of a sudden there is an influx of little Oscars in our area. This is why I’m worrying that it’s verging on being trendy right now :-?
My connotations with the name are however, very similar to yours - I picture it on a happy, confident and spirited little boy who has a zest for life and who brings laughter wherever he goes
Thank you for all of your beautiful responses. You’ve all put forward some wonderful comments about the solid history and longevity of the name. Its strong cross cultural use also adds to its appeal. And I’m EXTREMELY relieved to hear that you all think it’s a grounded and classic name
We are also considering [name_m]Harrison[/name_m], which DH loves at the moment, but which I honestly thought was a little too ‘safe’ and ‘conventional’ (not that there’s anything wrong with safe & conventional, but I like strong, lesser used classics that provide a bit of ‘spunk’ too!)
Having said all that, which do you think is the more classic name out of the two - [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] or [name_m]Harrison[/name_m]? And which do you think is more enduring and will age better?
I think [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] will be like [name_m]Walter[/name_m]: of course it’s a very classic name and there are Walters of all ages, but it’s going to be more associated with someone born in the early 20th century, as opposed to, say, [name_m]William[/name_m]. But it won’t feel dated in the same way a name like [name_u]Gary[/name_u] that was only really used widely for about thirty years does.
I think [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is more classic, but I like [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] more. Honestly, I think [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] and [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] are both safe, conventional choices. I’ve also gotten the impression that [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is one of those names that’s not evenly distributed throughout the population–that is, if you’re the type of person who likes it, you’re more likely to live near lots of other people who also like it.
Those connotations and images are exactly why we picked [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] as a name… it’s definitely a classic with spunk! Our eldest, [name_m]Eli[/name_m], is as soulful as his name, and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is as joyful as his name. We live in [name_f]Canada[/name_f], though, so our name census likely looks a lot different from yours!
As a sidenote: though I feel where you’re coming from not wanting to pick something that will become extremely common and associated with a particular time period, I’m not put off by men who are named [name_u]Michael[/name_u], even though I do know a lot of them. A good name is a good name! [name_m]Even[/name_m] if it does happen to date someone to a particular naming era, people do age and “date” themselves… even if it’s just by developing a dad bod and wearing slightly more embarrassing jeans.
You’re spot on! I love the name because of its Old World feel, yet I feel it’s quite a friendly and ‘jovial’ (as Nameberry cleverly describes it as) name. But I’m with you on this one - I’ve no idea if it will stick?
He’s almost 2 now, and the only [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] we know. Everyone adores both him and his name, and it really suits him: he is one of those kids that spreads joy and a healthy dash of mischief wherever he goes, both qualities I associate with an [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]. No one has ever brought up [name_f]Sesame[/name_f] [name_m]Street[/name_m] or grouchiness. I feel like it will date well, mainly because it has already dated well: we named him after the dashing, astute, compassionate [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Wilde, who rocked the name centuries ago! 