How a Family Joke Became the Oscar
The statuette’s formal name was the Academy Award of Merit. “Oscar” began as a more personal label: Academy librarian Margaret Herrick reportedly thought the gold-plated figure resembled her Uncle Oscar and remarked on the resemblance. The anecdote gave the nickname a memorable origin, though a private quip alone could not make it stick.
From Nickname to Official Name
The word spread beyond the Academy through newspaper coverage. In 1934, columnist Sidney Skolsky used “Oscar” in print, helping bring the nickname to a wider audience. As writers and moviegoers kept using it, the familiar name became easier to say and remember than the award’s formal title.
The Academy eventually adopted “Oscar” officially in 1939. That shift turned an informal nickname into the award’s recognized name: a small piece of everyday language that outlasted the institution’s original wording.
