The Baby Name Wizard

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Nicknames for Oswald: | Edit

Os, Oz, Ozzie.

Meanings and history of the name Oswald: | Edit

The boy's name Oswald (pronounced OZ-wald), is of Old German origin, and it's meaning is "God's power". It may also derive from a different Germanic phrase, meaning "man from the south woods". Variants are Ossie, Osvald, Osvaldo, Oswaldo, Oswell, Oswin, Ozzie, Ozzy and Waldo.

Famous real-life people named Oswald: | Edit

Oswald Moseley, founder of the British Factists; Oswald Avery, a biologist and one of the discoverers of DNA; Oswald of Northumbria, a 6th century king; Oswald West, the 14th governor of Oregon, Oswald Chambers, a Christian writer.

Oswald in song, story & screen: | Edit

One of the main characters in the book 'The Story of the Treasure Seekers' and its sequels by E.Nesbit is called Oswald Bastable. This book has been adapted to a TV series in 1997. Also a character called Oswald Bastable appears in Michael Moorcock's 'The Warlord of the Air' series.
Oswald is a servant in Shakespeare's King Lear. Oswald Loomis is a character in Superman comics, and Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot is a villain in Batman.
Oswald is a character in the video game 'The King of Fighters' and Odin Sphere. Also Oswald appears in two cartoons, Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and Oswald the Blue Octopus.