Otilia
A feminine name derived from the German word "othi", meaning rich or prosperous.
Name Census estimates that about 808 living Americans carry the first name Otilia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Otilia today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Otilia births was 1935 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Otilia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
808
~ 1 in 424,201 Americans
Peak year
1935
36 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,795
Tracked since 1893
Popularity
Otilia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Otilia from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 291 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Otilia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Otilia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Otilias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Otilia, while New Mexico, Arizona, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 176 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Otilia
The given name Otilia has its origins in the Latin language and culture, dating back to ancient Roman times. It is derived from the Latin word "otium," meaning leisure or retirement. The name was initially associated with a life of tranquility and contemplation.
Otilia was a relatively uncommon name during the Roman era, but it gained prominence among early Christian communities. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Saint Otilia, a 7th-century Alsatian abbess venerated in the Catholic Church for her piety and miracles. Her feast day is celebrated on December 13th.
In the Middle Ages, the name Otilia was particularly popular in parts of present-day Germany, France, and Italy. It was often given to girls born into noble families, as the name carried connotations of refinement and leisure. One notable bearer of the name was Otilia of Katzenelnbogen, a 13th-century German noblewoman who served as the Abbess of the Convent of Essen.
During the Renaissance period, the name Otilia experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy. One of the most famous Otilias from this era was Otilia Piccolomini, an Italian noblewoman born in 1599, who was known for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in the cultural life of Siena.
In the 19th century, the name Otilia gained popularity in Eastern Europe, particularly in Romania and Hungary. One of the most renowned bearers of the name was Otilia Cazimir, a Romanian poet and activist born in 1841, who played a significant role in the national revival movement and the fight for women's rights.
Another notable figure was Otilia Fernández, a Cuban-born Mexican actress and singer who lived from 1921 to 2018. She was a celebrated performer in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and is considered a cultural icon in both Mexico and Cuba.
While the name Otilia has its roots in ancient Roman culture, it has been embraced by various cultures throughout history, each adding their own unique interpretations and meanings to this timeless name.
People
Otilia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Otilia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Otilia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Otilia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 808 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Otilia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 424,201 US residents.
Is Otilia a common name?
We classify Otilia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,677 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Otilia most popular?
The single biggest year for Otilia was 1935, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Otilia is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Otilia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Otilia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.