With the Academy Awards just two days away, I find myself dreaming of Oscar.

Not the statue. The name, of course.

Between the fuzzy green grouch on Sesame Street and the first name of baloney, you might think that Oscar has fallen far out of vogue. On the contrary, Oscar has never dropped out of the Top 250 names for boys in the US, and is climbing the charts today.

We at ApMtn expected different.  When we pulled up the name’s stats, we fully expected Oscar to drop sharply in use around the time Sesame Street debuted.

Not so. In 1969, when the show was first broadcast in a one-week test on Philadelpha’s PBS affiliate, Oscar ranked #229. Five years later, when the show was solidly established, Oscar stood at #190.

Today, Oscar is positively popular at #118. That’s more than 3,500 baby Oscars born in 2006.

Colton, Levi, Brody, Micah, Oliver, Peter, Edward and George are all less frequently used. Perhaps it is time to dust off Oscar for your newest addition.

Besides the processed meat products and the muppet, Oscar has also been worn by:

• Kings of Sweden
• Athletes – think Oscar de la Hoya and early NBA star Oscar Robertson
• Heroes – Remember Schindler’s List? The German industrialist responsible for sheltering more than 1,000 Jews during the Nazi era was born Oskar Schindler. Human rights activist and advocate for the poor, martyred Roman Catholic priest and Archbishop of San Salvador Oscar Romero is another notable bearer of the name.
• Fashionistas – Oscar de la Renta is a legend in design.
• Rebels – Literary giant Oscar Wilde lends the name considerable artistic flair.

But perhaps the best case for Oscar’s continued popularity is the name’s roots in Irish mythology.  A warrior, and son of the fairy Niamh and warrior-poet Oisin, Oscar is a noble figure.

With once-favored Celtic choices like Ryan, Connor and Aiden worn out, Oscar stands as a surprising alternative.

Adding to Oscar’s allure is that great “O” at the top of the name. It’s helped push Olivia to the top of the popularity charts, and gives this name a very current feel.

Sure, when your kid tantrums, you’ll inevitably think of him as green, furry and living out of a garbage can.  But on balance, Oscar is a strong choice for a son – masculine but creative, quirky and classic at the same time.