Oswald is a masculine given name, from Anglo-Saxon Osweald, from os "god" and weald "rule". The Old High German cognate was Answald, the Old Norse form was Ásvaldr.
Oswald of Northumbria (604–642) was Bretwalda of the English and is venerated as saint. The name fell out of use in the later medieval period, although it appears to have been rarely given in reference to the saint even in the late 14th century as evidenced by the name of German poet and diplomat Oswald von Wolkenstein (1376/7–1445). The name was revived in the 19th century, but it was never frequently given. Its popularity in the United States peaked in 1886 at rank 451, and it fell below rank 1,000 in the mid-1930s. By contrast, the Hispanic form Osvaldo became popular in the United States by the 1970s, peaking at rank 410 in 2004.
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