Ottis
Ottis was the 6070th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 15 babies. Its best year was 1903, when it ranked 466th; the most babies were born in 1920 (130). More babies were named Ottis in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Otis) son of Ote (Germanic, related to Otto) · English, Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #6,070 boys, up 2,485 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 15boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1920130 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,647babies recorded
What does the name Ottis mean?
Ottis is a spelling of Otis, pronounced the same way, so it shares Otis's meaning and origin.
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)
Ottis popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 174 since 1898.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,070 | 15 |
| 2020 | #8,555 | 9 |
| 2010 | #11,806 | 6 |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1990 | #7,844 | 6 |
| 1980 | #3,207 | 14 |
| 1970 | #2,474 | 15 |
| 1960 | #2,099 | 16 |
| 1950 | #1,177 | 38 |
| 1940 | #835 | 57 |
| 1930 | #698 | 80 |
| 1920 | #536 | 130 |
| 1910 | #670 | 20 |
| 1900 | #1,028 | 8 |
| 1890 | #658 | 10 |
| 1880 | #886 | 6 |
How popular is Ottis, counting every spelling?
Ottis is a spelling of Otis, a name family that ranked #629 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #6,070 for Ottis 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 Ottis?
15 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ottis (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ottis 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 554 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ottis.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ottis?
About 1,200 people born in the US named Ottis are alive today, with a median age of 65; half are between 46 and 77. That makes Ottis a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ottis: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ottis, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ottis
What does Ottis mean?
Ottis is a spelling of Otis, which means “son of Ote (Germanic, related to Otto)” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ottis?
Ottis was the 6070th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 15 babies. Its best year was 1903, when it ranked 466th; the most babies were born in 1920 (130). More babies were named Ottis in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ottis a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ottis in the US.