Oswald is an Old English name that means "divine power" or "god ruler", from os, god, and weald, power. Saint Oswald, the 7th-century king of Northumbria, spread Christianity in northern England, and much later the name belonged to the cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald has recovered from number 4027 in 2000 to a peak of number 2128 in 2024 and ranks number 2161 in 2025.