UK boy's name
Ossie
Diminutive form of the masculine name Oswald meaning "divine power.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Ossie is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Ossie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 5 births.
This profile covers 53 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 2005 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 53 living people in the UK are called Ossie. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Ossie ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 5 boys were registered as Ossie.
- • About 53 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ossie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4789
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
2005
5 births
Estimated living
53
2026
Meaning
What does Ossie mean?
The name Ossie is a diminutive form of the given name Oswald, which is derived from the Old English words "os" meaning "god" and "weald" meaning "power" or "ruler." The name originated in Anglo-Saxon England during the 7th to 11th centuries.
Oswald was a popular name among the early English kings and nobility. One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Saint Oswald, the King of Northumbria from 634 to 642 AD. He was venerated as a martyr after being killed in battle against the pagan king Penda of Mercia.
Another early bearer of the name was Oswald of Worcester, an English Benedictine monk and Archbishop of York who lived from around 925 to 992 AD. He was known for his scholarly works and contributions to the Benedictine monastic reform movement.
In the 12th century, Oswald of Ripon was a renowned English hagiographer and biographer of St. Aidan of Lindisfarne. His work, "Life of St. Aidan," provided valuable insights into the early Christian missions in Northumbria.
During the 16th century, Oswald Croll was a German philosopher and alchemist who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. He was born in 1580 and is credited with introducing several chemical compounds into medical practice.
In more recent history, Oswald Mosley, born in 1896, was a British politician and founder of the British Union of Fascists. Despite his controversial political views, his name serves as an example of the continued use of the name Ossie in the 20th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ossie over time
The chart below shows babies named Ossie registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Ossie, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ossie by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ossie was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4789 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4076 | 31 | 8 |
| 2000s | #3188 | 19 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Ossie
- Oliver 157,197
- Oscar 67,495
- Owen 33,517
- Ollie 13,193
- Oakley 9,838
- Omar 6,823
- Otis 6,395
- Oskar 4,827
- Olly 4,403
- Otto 3,839
- Osian 3,145
- Owain 2,310
FAQ
Ossie: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ossie in the UK right now?
In 2021, Ossie was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Ossie most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 5 babies registered as Ossie in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ossie?
Diminutive form of the masculine name Oswald meaning "divine power.".
How many people are called Ossie in the UK?
A total of 53 babies have been registered as Ossie across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.