Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, often shortened to Othello, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulated by his ensign, Iago, into suspecting his wife Desdemona of infidelity.
Meaning & Origin of Othello
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, often shortened to Othello, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulated by his ensign, Iago, into suspecting his wife Desdemona of infidelity.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Othello
As a girl name
Othello first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1905, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 10 Othellos were born — ranking #3,005 that year. As of 2026, Othello ranks #3,345 for girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 116 Othellos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Othello first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1913, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2025, when 17 Othellos were born — ranking #5,523 that year. As of 2026, Othello ranks #5,540 for boys with 17 births, rising sharply (+57% over the past five years). In total, more than 713 Othellos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Othello
Phonetically similar names — useful when Othello is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Othello
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About the name Othello
Othello is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 713 births in the dataset. Othello's peak popularity came in 2025 when it ranked #1,772. Use the chart and map above to compare Othello's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
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Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.