Otis
Otis is a male given name derived from an English surname, which was in turn derived from Ode, a variant form of Odo and Otto. The name also has origins in the Ars Goetia, it is a variation of the name Botis. Otis is also a male nickname from Otieno, with its roots in the Luo tribe in Kenya.
Meaning & Origin of Otis
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Otis is a male given name derived from an English surname, which was in turn derived from Ode, a variant form of Odo and Otto. The name also has origins in the Ars Goetia, it is a variation of the name Botis. Otis is also a male nickname from Otieno, with its roots in the Luo tribe in Kenya.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Otis
Otis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 88 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 1,031 Otiss were born — ranking #146 that year. As of 2026, Otis ranks #718 for baby boys with 373 births, gradually rising (+8%). In total, more than 61K Otiss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Otis
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Otis Armstrong (1950–2021), American football player
- Otis Birdsong (born 1955), American former National Basketball Association player, member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame
- Otis R. Bowen (1918–2013), American politician
- Otis Chandler (1927–2006), American newspaper publisher
- Otis Clay (1942–2016), American R&B and soul singer
- Otis Davis (born 1932), American sprinter and world 400 m record holder
- Otis Dudley Duncan (1921–2004), American sociologist
- Otis Dozovic (born 1991), American professional wrestler
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Otis
Phonetically similar names — useful when Otis 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 Otis
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About the name Otis
Otis is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 61K births in the dataset. Otis's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #94. Use the chart and map above to compare Otis's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.