Denis vs Oskar
Denis and Oskarcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #423 and Oskar #25 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and Oskar #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #305 and Oskar #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Oskar #338 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Oskar over time
Denis and Oskar appear together in 4 published lists, across 116 years of shared records. Oskar held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Denis in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Denis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Oskar in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Denis and Oskar changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2007 and 2024, ending at #305 and #339.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Oskar were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 53 years, from 1970 to 2024, ending at #423 and #25.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Denis #231 in 2011, Oskar #204 in 2012.
List by list
Norway · Boys53 shared years, 1970–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Oskar in 42.
Highest recorded here: Denis #249 in 1984, Oskar #15 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #423, Oskar #25.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Oskar in 28.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Oskar #174 in 2009.
The order changed in 1997: Oskar moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #755 and #976; by 1997 that had become #1052 and #759.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Oskar #338.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1995–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Oskar in 5.
Highest recorded here: Denis #83 in 1995, Oskar #130 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, Oskar #468.
Northern Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 2007–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Oskar in 6.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, Oskar #204 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #305, Oskar #339.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Denis | Oskar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The origin is genuinely disputed between two theories: one traces it to an Old Irish phrase commonly rendered as 'deer friend'; the other links it to a Germanic compound commonly interpreted as 'god's spear', possibly brought to Ireland by Norse settlers. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Disputed — possibly Old Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɔs.kar/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Oskar has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Old Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse); Denis does not have one recorded yet.
- Denis and Oskar both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Oskar; Denis doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Denis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #65 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Oskar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #201 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #21 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys