Oswalt as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Oswalt

What is the meaning of the name Oswalt ?

The baby name Oswalt is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced OZ-walt (IPA: /ˈɒz.wɔlt/).

Oswalt is English, Germanic in Origin.

Oswalt derives from Old English Ōsweald (later Oswald), built from ōs “god, deity” and weald/wald “rule, power,” yielding the sense “divine power” or “god-ruler.” Through medieval saintly veneration - especially Saint Oswald of Northumbria - the name spread across England and the German-speaking world, where the spelling Oswalt arose in Middle High German. While Oswald became the dominant English form, Oswalt persisted regionally in Germany and later in America primarily as a surname that can also serve as a given name.

Variants include Oswald (English), Oswalt (German), Osvald (Scandinavian and Slavic), and Osvaldo (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese); rarer feminine forms such as Oswalda appear in German sources. Nicknames include Oz and Ozzie. Usage waned after the Middle Ages but saw modest 19th-century revival amid interest in Anglo-Saxon names. Today, Oswalt is uncommon as a first name, carrying a vintage, continental twist on the classic Oswald while keeping the same strong meaning.

⚙ Oswalt is exceptionally rare. There are only 11 recorded uses on record, spread over 4 countries.