The Academy Award is called an 'Oscar' because a librarian thought the statue looked like her uncle.

The official name of the trophy is the Academy Award of Merit. Margaret Herrick was the first librarian for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her relative was actually a second cousin named Oscar Pierce who worked as a wheat farmer.Journalist Sidney Skolsky used the name in a newspaper column in 1934. He wrote it while describing Katharine Hepburn's win for Best Actress. This was the first time the nickname appeared in print for the public.Actress Bette Davis also claimed she came up with the name. She said it looked like her husband Harmon Oscar Nelson. However, most historians believe the Margaret Herrick story is the true origin.The Academy did not use the name officially until 1939. Before this, people called it the gold trophy or the iron man. Giving the award a human name made it easier for the public to remember and talk about.