The baby name Otto follows Leo and Milo straight up the popularity charts.
Thanks to Emma for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES OTTO MEAN?
The baby name Otto comes from the Germanic aud, meaning fortune – as in wealth. It evolved from Odo, and it used to occur in lots of compound names, like Otfrid.
But we know this name best as Otto.
OTTO IS A PALINDROME
Fun fact: like Hannah – and taco cat – Otto is a palindrome. It’s spelled and pronounced the same forwards and backwards.
THE NAME OF KINGS AND SAINTS
Flip through the history books and you’ll find plenty of rulers who answered to Otto.
It appears in the 600s as the name of a court official. Three Holy Roman Emperors wore the name, along with nineteenth century kings of Greece and Bavaria.
There’s a Saint Otto in the 1100s, known for his efforts as missionary within Pomerania. Others had attempted to forcibly convert the Slavic tribes there; apparently Saint Otto persuaded them instead.
Then there’s Otto von Bismark, in all of his Prussian military regalia. He was appointed by a king, but eventually served an emperor, as his efforts united Germany. A brilliant politician and diplomat, he served as the new nation’s first chancellor from 1871 until 1890, dominating European affairs in the late nineteenth century.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME OTTO?
It’s not clear if American parents were influenced by the German statesman, but the name did regularly appear in the US Top 100 in the late nineteenth century. It seems more likely that it was simply a traditional German name imported to the US with immigrant families.
However, all things German fell out of favor during the World Wars.
The baby name Otto was already declining in 1914. By 1918, when the war concluded, the name was at #181.
World War II accelerated the trend, but Otto remained in the Top 1000 through 1974.
OTTO FALLS OUT OF FAVOR
The 1970s made Otto a punchline. In smash hit comedy Airplane, the autopilot is an inflatable doll called – what else? – Otto. Former fighter pilot Ted Striker will have to step up to save the day.
In 1980, Syracuse University named their new mascot Otto the Orange. (Yup, he’s an orange.)
And in 1988 heist comedy A Fish Called Wanda, Kevin Klein played a villain named Otto West.
We recognized it as a name. But parents didn’t hear the baby name Otto as a serious option for their children. By 1984, just 45 boys were named Otto – an all-time low.
OTTO MAKES A COMEBACK
But names go in cycles, and the baby name Otto is no exception.
The letter O has had a good run in recent decades. Just ask Oliver, Owen, and Oscar; Leo, Milo, and Arlo.
Otto fit with offbeat traditional names that parents were ready to rediscover.
By 2011, it was back in the Top 1000. It’s climbed steadily, reaching #281 as of 2023.
That’s the most popular rank for the name since 1930.
BIG OTTO AND THE SMALL SCREEN
Hit television series Sons of Anarchy includes “Big Otto” Delaney, played by series creator Kurt Delaney.
It’s hard to imagine motorcycle gang members inspiring baby names, but there’s no question the series had an impact: names like Jax, Gemma, and Ezekiel all got a boost from the show.
On a different note, lots of children’s series started to embrace the name. Nickelodeon’s Rocket Power, Cartoon Network’s Time Squad, and PBS Kids’ Odd Squad all gave us more age-appropriate Ottos.
BOY NAMES ENDING WITH O
But the biggest trend that lifted Otto comes down to that o-ending. In 2023, Elio, Kyro, Alvaro, Jericho, Enzo, Kylo, Leandro, and Emiliano were all fast-risers. The baby name Otto seems downright mainstream in their company.
Otto fits with Theo or Max, but feels a little fresher and less expected – while remaining every bit as traditional.
What do you think of the baby name Otto?
First published on June 11, 2010, this post was revised on October 21, 2020 and September 3, 2024.
My grandfather was Otto, born in U.S. but birth certificate written in German (born 1881).