Otto Name Meaning & Origin
Otto
Origin of the name Otto:
From the Old High German Otho and Odo, which are derived from auda (rich). The name was borne by Otto I (912 - 73), a king of Germany and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The older form of Odo is also bestowed, but it is much less common.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Otto Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
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Name Lists Featuring Otto
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden 2014
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland 2014
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland, 2010
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden, 2010
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden for 2012
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland for 2012
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden
Contribute your knowledge to the name Otto
- Comments and insights on the name Otto
It's spelled the same, frontwards and backwards.
Otto is my husband's name. His parents had a ancestor of German descent named Otto. My husband didn't want to name our first born son Otto. However after having four son's we were running out of names so we named our latest Otto Jr.
My husband and I wanted to try "Maddox" as a middle name, but I thought it ran the risk of becoming a joke. I did not necessarily want "automatics" following my boy around forever.
- Personal experiences with the name Otto
I was named after my Norwegian grandfather. Ironically, everyone assumes I'm German when they hear my name. If you're looking for a unique name, you can't do much better. I've only met one other Otto in my lifetime. I almost wish there were a few more of us. It seems to be more common as a last name in the U.S.
Although you wouldn't guess it, I don't ever remember being teased about my name by other kids when I was young. If you do name your son Otto, it will be important to layout the facts for him. Yes, his name is a palindrome. No, he will never find his name in a gift shop where a display of names is laid out in alphabetical order. I still always look but in 40 years have never found it. Perhaps, I need to take a trip to Sweden...
My uncle had the name Otto. We called him Ott. Good fellow, good name. Ott is a great name with most last names. His middle initial was F. He was German Irish ancestry. Handsome man.
- Nicknames for Otto
Ottomatic, Ottico, Ottomobile, Ott
- Meanings and history of the name Otto
- Famous real-life people named Otto
Otto Wood, drummer for pop punk band Waterparks <3 <3
Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank.
Otto Preminger, Austrian-born film director.
Otto Klemperer, one of the leading conductors of the 20th Century
Otto von Bismarck, a statesman of moderation and balance who kept the peace in Europe- Otto in song, story & screen
Oswald "Otto" Rocket is the central character on "Rocket Power," a show that aired on Nickelodeon Aug. 16,1999.
Otto Bagman, character in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Otto Mann is the name of the bus driver on the TV series "The Simpsons."
Otto is the fish in the children's book "A Fish Out of Water" by P.D. Eastman
'Big' Otto Delaney is the name of the show creator Kurt Sutter's character in Sons of Anarchy
Otto Schmidlap in the TV show "The Life of Riley"
Otto Tubbs, a heavyset farmer in the internet comic blog "The Greasers of Hazzick Flats", whose 350-pound daughter Arbuttle marries "the worst hood in town", Alex S. Smuckers. http://www.thegreasersofhazzickflats.blogspot.com