Otis
Otis was the 652nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 422 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 94th; the most babies were born in 1920 (1,031). Over the last ten years it has moved up 193 places. More babies were named Otis in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning son of Ote (Germanic, related to Otto) · English, Germanic
Say it OH-tis /ˈoʊtɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #652 boys, down 4 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 422boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19201,031 babies
- Total since 1880
- 61,969babies recorded
What does the name Otis mean?
Otis is an English patronymic surname, which Wiktionary derives from the Middle English possessive of the Germanic given name Ote or Ode, related to Otto. DMNES explains Otto as Old High German ōt, wealth or riches, and lists Holy Roman emperors of that name. Wiktionary notes famous American bearers of the surname: the revolutionary James Otis and the elevator maker Elisha Otis. Otis has been used as a boys' first name in the US since 1880.
ōt (Old High German, “wealth, riches”)
How sure is this? Probable. The surname is patronymic; the 'wealth' meaning comes through Otto (DMNES).
Related names: Otto, Odo, Ode.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Otis' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Otto', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Otis popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 887 since 1889.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #652 | 422 |
| 2020 | #648 | 413 |
| 2010 | #1,381 | 122 |
| 2000 | #1,330 | 97 |
| 1990 | #699 | 213 |
| 1980 | #492 | 296 |
| 1970 | #367 | 496 |
| 1960 | #326 | 556 |
| 1950 | #221 | 831 |
| 1940 | #200 | 661 |
| 1930 | #172 | 831 |
| 1920 | #146 | 1,031 |
| 1910 | #109 | 285 |
| 1900 | #110 | 212 |
| 1890 | #122 | 119 |
| 1880 | #156 | 88 |
How popular is Otis, counting every spelling?
Otis is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #629 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #652 for Otis on its own. Together these spellings went to 437 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otis | 422 | #652 | 2,084 |
| Ottis | 15 | #6,070 | 65 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Otis?
422 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Otis (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Otis born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 20 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Otis.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Otis?
About 25,500 people born in the US named Otis are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 31 and 72. That makes Otis a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Otis by state
How common Otis was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (3.1×), Colorado (2.7×), Washington (2.5×), Wisconsin (2.5×), Minnesota (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Carolina, Alabama, Maryland.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Otis: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Otis, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Otis · Sibling names for Otis
Questions about the name Otis
What does Otis mean?
Otis means “son of Ote (Germanic, related to Otto)” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Otis?
Otis was the 652nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 422 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 94th; the most babies were born in 1920 (1,031). Over the last ten years it has moved up 193 places. More babies were named Otis in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Otis a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Otis in the US.
Where is Otis most popular?
In 2021–2025, Otis was most common in Vermont (3.02 per 1,000 boys), followed by Montana and Oregon.