Ottilie: Baby Name of the Day

The baby name Ottilie blends medieval roots with current style.

Thanks to Lola for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF OTTILIE?

Plenty of names come from the Germanic element odo, meaning wealth or fortune. Otto is the most obvious.

Ottilie is a feminine form of Odo – one of many. 

Worth noting: some argue the name could come from the Old German uodil, meaning heritage. 

But typically, it’s part of a sprawling family of names, including:

Odilia (or Odila) was an 8th-century nun who is considered the patron saint of Alsace. She was apparently born blind but gained sight when she was baptized.

• Palindrom name Otto, an obvious derivation from odo
• Spirited Otis, which started out as a surname
• The name Odilia was probably an early feminine form, worn by an eighth-century nun. It’s said Saint Odilia – or maybe Odila – was born blind, but miraculously gained sight following her baptism
• The similar Ottilia is also sometimes heard
• Odile and Odette are famous from the ballet Swan Lake, as well as the Oscar-winning 2010 movie Black Swan
• British-sounding Ottoline remains known thanks to the legacy of Lady Ottoline Morrell, an early 1900s patron of the arts, known for hosting many of the leading thinkers during the first World War and post-war era in England 
• And then there’s the baby name Ottilie, which sounds French but is generally considered German. Odilie might be an older form.

FAMOUS OTTILIES: FICTIONAL AND REAL

Most of the early women known by the name were, in fact, German.

• Ottilie Assing was born in Hamburg. A writer and journalist known for her feminisit and abolitionist beliefs, she moved to the United States and wrote for European publications. As part of her work, she interviewed Frederick Douglass. The two had a long and tumultous relationship, spanning decades.
• Nineteenth-century Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson penned a short poemTo Ottilie. It’s not clear who the inspiration was for the poem’s name; Stevenson’s wife was known as Fanny.
• A German socialite, the Baroness Ottilie von Goethe was the daughter-in-law of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. She was known for her assistance to the famous writer as he finished Faust.
• German silent film star Tilla Durieux was born Ottilie Godeffroy.
• Ottilie Metzger was a Frankfurt-born opera singer well known in the early 1900s.
• Irish-born jazz singer Ottilie Patterson found success in the 1950s and 60s. She was actually born Anna Ottilie, but dropped her first name.
• Known as Tilly Losch, Vienna-born dancer turned actress turned painter eventually married and became the Countess of Carnarvon. 

The name faded as the twentieth century progressed, but it didn’t disappear entirely.

• Truman Capote gave the name to a character in his 1950 short story “The House of Flowers.” It became a musical in 1954.
• Another short story, “Random Quest” was published in 1961, by British author John Wyndham. A 1971 adaptation starred Joan Collins as the character named Ottilie Harshom.

HOW IS OTTILIE PRONOUNCED?

So while Ottilie recalls French origin names like Rosalie and Sylvie, Ottilie is traditionally big in Germany.

That means the name’s traditional pronunciation is more like oh TEEL ee ah.

English language speakers, of course, would sound it out and say something more like ot-i-lee. Except Americans tend to say Ts more like Ds: ahd-ah-lee, almost like Adalie. 

In Britian, the T is enunciated, making Ottilie and Adalie two different names.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME OTTILIE?

Perhaps pronunciation is the reason Ottilie is a Top 100 favorite in England and Wales. 

In the US, it’s nearly unknown.

That wasn’t always the case. Circa 1890, this name appeared in the Top 1000 with other vintage gems: Zenobia, Eulalie, Rosamund. 

The baby name Ottilie last appeared in the US rankings in 1904.

But lately that’s changing. The name was given to 67 girls in the US in 2023. That marks a new high. In fact, the name doubled in use from 2022.

One possible reason for the rise: influencer Jordan Haase welcomed twins in March of 2023 named Archie Calvin Cole and Ottilie Campbell Marie.

OTTILIE NICKNAMES

Another benefit to Ottilie: plenty of nicknames.

Tillie or Tilly is the obvious choice. But it might also shorten to Lottie, Ollie, Otti/Ottie, or even, for something playful, Otter.

OVERLOOKED GEM

Another O-name, Olivia, has been a fast favorite in the US and Europe for most of the twenty-first century. No surprise, then, that O names like Octavia and Ophelia, Oliver and Owen, feel equally stylish. 

Maybe that opens the door for Ottilie.

It’s a name that feels antique and a little bit dusty, but undeniably pretty – an overlooked gem that deserves a closer look. 

What do you think of the name Ottilie?

First published on July 10, 2008. It was revised on September 24, 2012 and again on November 26, 2024.