Oz - Beyond Oscar and Oswald

More interesting ways to achieve the nickname Oz.
  1. August
    • Origin:

      German form of Latin Augustus
    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"
    • Description:

      The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
  2. Boaz
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "swiftness"
    • Description:

      Now that such Old Testament patriarchs as Elijah and Moses fill the playground, Boaz seems downright baby-friendly, having more pizzazz than many of the others, perhaps as a successor to Noah.
  3. Berlioz
    • Osiris
      • Origin:

        Egyptian
      • Meaning:

        "with strong eyesight"
      • Description:

        Osiris is the name of Egyptian mythology god-king who died and was reborn every year. Emerging from centuries of obscurity, Osiris has several ingredients for success in the modern world: Roots in ancient myth, an uplifting meaning, an s ending and the cute nickname Os or Oz.
    • Otto
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "wealthy"
      • Description:

        Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
    • Ozias
      • Origin:

        Greek, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "my strength is God"
      • Description:

        A cool Biblical option that currently sits just outside the US Top 1000, Ozias gets extra points for its user-friendly nicknames Oz and Ozzie. Given to around 200 boys in 2023, it has quadrupled in use since 2013.

        Deriving from the Hebrew Uzziah, Ozias is the name of several minor figures in the Greek and Latin Bible, most notably the king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah. It also has a literary connection in the form of the wonderfully named Ozias Midwinter from Wilkie Collins' 19th century sensationalist novel Armadale. Several characters in the novel describe the name as 'horrible', claiming that 'no sane human being would assume such a name as Ozias', but we - and a growing number of parents - would disagree.
    • Osprey
      • Otto Zikora
        • Ozark
          • Prosper
            • Origin:

              Latin
            • Meaning:

              "favorable, prosperous"
            • Description:

              In France, pronounced PRO-spare, Prosper is a fairly common name; here it presents a worthy aspirational message for a child.
          • Roscoe
            • Origin:

              Norse
            • Meaning:

              "deer forest"
            • Description:

              Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of sight now, the quirky Roscoe deserves a place on every adventurous baby-namer's long list. It joins Rufus, Roman, Remy, Romulus, and Ray as one of the R names that sound fresh again after too many years of Robert, Richard, and Ronald.
          • Socrates
            • Origin:

              Greek
            • Meaning:

              "safe power, healthy and strong, whole and powerful"
            • Description:

              Associated with the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates (often spelled Sokratis) is quite common in traditional Greek families, but for others, we think Plato (the name of his pupil) might be easier to handle for those wanting a philosopher-inspired choice.