Oswald
OZ-wald
A strong old Germanic name often taken to mean “divine power” or “god’s rule.”
Meaning
The excerpts point to a Germanic compound name. Yonge gives Oswald as “divine power,” while Charnock connects it with Old German os-walt, glossed as an “illustrious magistrate” or “administrator.” In later usage, the name is also strongly associated with St. Oswald, the Anglo-Saxon king and saint.
Origin
Old EnglishOld GermanGermanicmasculine
Fun fact
The name became famous in England through St. Oswald, king of Northumbria, which helped keep it in Christian-name lists for centuries.