A gold statuette award given annually for excellence in the film industry, officially called the Academy Award; also a common male given name.
The Academy Award was first given in 1929; the origin of the nickname 'Oscar' is debated—possibly from the Academy librarian's uncle, or from a joke about the statuette resembling someone named Oscar. It became the official name by the 1940s. Also derived from Germanic roots meaning 'divine spear.'
The Oscar statuette is called 'Oscar' partly because someone joked it looked like their uncle Oscar, but Hollywood ran with it so enthusiastically that the Academy eventually just accepted the nickname! It's one of the few cases where an inside joke became an official institution's name.
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