Otley
An English name of Anglo-Saxon origin, possibly meaning "oat clearing".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Otley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Otley today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Otley births was 1924 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Otley. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Otley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1924
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1924 SSA rank
#4,805
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Otley: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Otley 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 Otley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Otley
The name Otley is an English place name derived from the Old English words "ot" meaning "oat" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing". It is believed to have originated in the village of Otley in West Yorkshire, England, which was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Otley as a given name is relatively rare, but it has been used throughout history, particularly in England and other parts of the British Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Otley Worsley, an English landowner who lived in the 15th century and owned property in Lancashire.
In the 17th century, Otley Underwood was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hartsmere in Suffolk from 1628 to 1629. Around the same time, Otley Cave was an English clergyman and academic who served as a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge in the early 1600s.
In the 18th century, Otley Worrall was an English clockmaker from Manchester who was known for his intricate and precise timepieces. He lived from 1697 to 1768 and his clocks are now considered valuable antiques.
One of the most notable individuals with the name Otley was Otley Worrett, an English artist and engraver who lived from 1765 to 1835. He was best known for his engravings of landscapes and portraits, and his work was highly praised by contemporary critics.
In more recent times, Otley Garnett was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. He was born in 1871 and played as a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper during his career.
While not an extensive list, these are some of the more notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Otley. The name's origins as an English place name and its use over several centuries highlight its historical significance, even if it has remained relatively uncommon as a given name.
People
Otley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Otley 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
Otley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Otley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Otley 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 - US residents.
Is Otley a common name?
We classify Otley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Otley most popular?
The single biggest year for Otley was 1924, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Otley is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Otley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Otley a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Otley in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Otley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Otley in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Otley can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Otley?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Otley at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.