boy's name
Otto
OT-oh
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 46,088
the United States
#277
2025 births
Otto is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "wealth" or "fortune." It comes from the element od, referring to inherited property, and was borne by four Holy Roman Emperors.
- Otto is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 1,244 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,672 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Otto over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,679 |
| 1890s | 2,559 |
| 1900s | 1,746 |
| 1910s | 5,593 |
| 1920s | 5,585 |
| 1930s | 3,135 |
| 1940s | 1,918 |
| 1950s | 1,514 |
| 1960s | 1,125 |
| 1970s | 712 |
| 1980s | 574 |
| 1990s | 610 |
| 2000s | 1,168 |
| 2010s | 4,570 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,527 |
What Otto means
Otto means wealth, prosperity or inheritance. The Germanic od refers to hereditary property and good fortune together rather than to money, which is why older sources give riches and heritage side by side.
Where Otto comes from
Otto is a short form of Germanic names beginning with od, wealth — Odalric, Otbert and others — that became a name in its own right. Otto I, crowned emperor in 962, effectively founded the Holy Roman Empire, and three more emperors bore the name. The same element gives Ottilie, Odette and Odilia. Otto von Bismarck, chancellor from 1871, is its best-known modern bearer. The name's palindromic shape has helped its recent revival among parents drawn to short, symmetrical names.
Otto in use
Our data shows Otto peaking in 2024 and still rising, at 117 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. Its revival runs alongside Ottilie, the feminine of the same root, which sits at 55 — both climbing together after a century out of use.
How popular is Otto?
In 2025, Otto was given to 1,241 babies in the United States, ranking #277 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Otto is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Otto
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Otto also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Otto over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Otto in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Otto
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Otto — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Otto
What does the name Otto mean?
Otto means "wealth" or "fortune," from the Germanic element od.
Is Otto related to Ottilie?
Yes — Ottilie is the feminine diminutive of the same root, and both are currently rising in Britain.
Is Otto a German name?
The root is Germanic and it was borne by four Holy Roman Emperors, though it is used across Europe and in English.
How popular is the name Otto?
In 2025, Otto was given to 1,241 babies in the United States, ranking #277 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Otto a girl's or a boy's name?
Otto is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Otto?
Otto has 2 syllables.
When was Otto most popular?
Otto peaked in 2024, when 1,244 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Otto a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Otto currently ranks #117 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.