Namewise

Oscar vs Sebastian

Oscar and Sebastiancompared 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.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Oscar was ranked #8 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Oscar was ranked #17 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Oscar was ranked #20 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Oscar was ranked #22 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Oscar was ranked #31 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Oscar was ranked #34 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Oscar was ranked #51 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.

Oscar and Sebastian over time

Oscar and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 191 years of shared records. Oscar held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sebastian in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Sebastian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Oscar in 2. 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1997, Oscar moved ahead of Sebastian in England and Wales · Boys — #128 and #114 the year before became #111 and #113.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Oscar and Sebastian changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2000 and 2025, ending at #17 and #31.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Oscar and Sebastian averaged 29.0 places apart, ending at #8 and #47.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Oscar and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #8 and #47.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Oscar #24 in 2014, Sebastian #102 in 2015.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1968–2025

    Oscar held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sebastian in 55.

    Highest recorded here: Oscar #35 in 2013, Sebastian #6 in 2006.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Oscar #51, Sebastian #53.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1982–2025

    Oscar held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Sebastian in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Oscar #30 in 2021, Sebastian #80 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Oscar #31, Sebastian #125.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Oscar held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sebastian in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Oscar #7 in 2013, Sebastian #28 in 2018.

    The order changed in 1997: Oscar moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #128 and #114; by 1997 that had become #111 and #113.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Oscar #8, Sebastian #47.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025

    Oscar held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Sebastian in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Oscar #17 in 2025, Sebastian #20 in 2022.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Oscar #17, Sebastian #31.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024

    Oscar held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Sebastian in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Oscar #24 in 2014, Sebastian #102 in 2015.

    The order changed in 2003: Oscar moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #220 and #186; by 2003 that had become #193 and #229.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Oscar #34, Sebastian #154.

  • New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023

    Oscar held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Oscar #11 in 2022, Sebastian #52 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Oscar #20, Sebastian #52.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Oscar

Pairs where Oscar shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Sebastian

Pairs where Sebastian shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Oscar, Sebastian
FieldOscarSebastian
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningPossibly 'deer friend' (Irish), or possibly derived from an Old English/Old Norse name meaning 'god spear' — the origin is genuinely disputed.Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus.
OriginDisputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old NorseLatin, from Greek
Pronunciation/ˈɑskər//səˈbæstʃən/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #8 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10065/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10070/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Oscar is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
  • Oscar has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
  • Oscar's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Oscar

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #263 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #8 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Sebastian

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1968

    First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1968–2025

    Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys