Otta
A masculine Scandinavian name of uncertain meaning, possibly "industrious" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Otta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Otta today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Otta births was 1917 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Otta. 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 Otta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1917
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1925 SSA rank
#5,594
Tracked since 1889
Popularity
Otta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Otta from the 1880s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 22 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Otta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Otta 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 Otta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Otta
The name Otta has its origins in ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to the 5th century AD. It is believed to derive from the Old High German word "ot," meaning "wealth" or "prosperity." This root word is also found in other Germanic names like Otto and Ottmar.
In the early medieval period, the name Otta was predominantly used in regions of modern-day Germany and Austria. It gained popularity among noble families and aristocracy, symbolizing their affluence and high social standing. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Codex Sangallensis, a 9th-century manuscript from the Abbey of Saint Gall in Switzerland, where a nobleman named Otta is mentioned.
The name Otta also appears in various historical records and chronicles from the 10th to 12th centuries. One notable figure was Otta von Wittelsbach (c. 1083-1156), a German nobleman and the Count Palatine of Bavaria. He played a significant role in the political affairs of the Holy Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Lothar III.
Another prominent individual bearing the name was Otta I, Margrave of Brandenburg (c. 1128-1184). He was a member of the House of Ascania and governed the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1170 until his death. Otta I is remembered for his efforts in expanding and securing the territory of Brandenburg.
In the 12th century, Otta von Freising (c. 1112-1158) was a German churchman and historian. He served as the Bishop of Freising and wrote the influential chronicle Gesta Friderici I imperatoris, which documented the reign of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa.
During the 13th century, Otta von Botenlauben (c. 1185-1245) was a German priest and the first Bishop of Bamberg. He played a crucial role in the establishment and organization of the Diocese of Bamberg, which was founded in 1007.
Over the centuries, the name Otta gradually fell out of common use in most regions, but it continued to be used sporadically in certain areas of Germany and Austria. However, due to its ancient Germanic roots and historical significance, the name remains a part of the cultural heritage and onomastic traditions of these regions.
People
Otta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Otta 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
Otta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Otta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Otta 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 Otta a common name?
We classify Otta 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, 38 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Otta most popular?
The single biggest year for Otta was 1917, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Otta 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 Otta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Otta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Otta 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.
Is Otta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Otta 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 Otta 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 many people have the name Otta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.