Fun Facts About the Name Ottilia
- 597 babies named Ottilia: U.S. records list 597 babies given the name Ottilia from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ottilia Mean?
Ottilia is a feminine name of Germanic origin, generally understood to mean "wealthy" or "prosperous." Its first element is the ancient Germanic *auda- ("wealth, riches"), the same element that forms the masculine name Otto and that appears in Old English as ēad ("prosperity"), as in the names Edward and Edgar. A diminutive ending, -ilo/-ila, was added to make pet forms such as the masculine Odilo and the feminine Odila; from these came the Latinized feminine Odilia and its t-spelling, Ottilia.
A competing explanation connects the first element with *ōþala- ("inherited property, ancestral land"), the source of German Adel ("nobility"). The derivation from *auda- is the more widely accepted one, but early spellings alternate between d and t, so the two are not always easy to separate and the precise origin remains somewhat uncertain.
Ottilia Name History & Origins
Devotion to Saint Odilia of Alsace, also called Ottilia or, in French, Odile, did the most to carry the name through medieval Europe. She lived from about 660 to about 720, was the daughter of the Alsatian duke Adalrich, and founded the monastery of Hohenburg on the mountain now known as Mont Sainte-Odile. As patron saint of Alsace, with a feast on December 13, she was honored in churches and chapels that carried her name into German-, French-, and Latin-speaking regions.
Passing through Latin and the vernacular languages, the name took several shapes. Latin and German both have Odilia and Ottilia; German also developed Ottilie; French has Odile; Spanish and Italian have Otilia and Odilia; Hungarian uses Ottília, and Romanian Otilia. The Latinized Ottilia has also been used in Scandinavia. The masculine names Otto and Odilo belong to the same family, sharing the "wealth" element.
In German literature the name is familiar from Ottilie, a central figure in Goethe's novel Elective Affinities (1809). The name is older than that work: its medieval currency rests on the cult of the Alsatian saint, and Goethe's character is a literary bearer of a name that already existed.
How Popular is the Name Ottilia?
Ottilia recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1891. Its best rank was #569 in 1891.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,232 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2024 | #8,796 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #7,549 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #11,963 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #14,808 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #13,112 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #15,186 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #15,458 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,601 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #15,927 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #16,038 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1936 | #4,710 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #5,087 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1929 | #3,332 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1928 | #4,591 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #5,446 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #3,951 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #3,608 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1923 | #4,839 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #2,731 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1921 | #3,349 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1920 | #3,876 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #1,974 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1918 | #2,353 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1917 | #2,517 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1916 | #2,340 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1915 | #2,659 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1914 | #2,097 | 12 | 0.0016% |
| 1913 | #1,991 | 11 | 0.0018% |
| 1912 | #1,597 | 13 | 0.0023% |
| 1911 | #2,778 | 5 | 0.0012% |
| 1910 | #1,600 | 10 | 0.0025% |
| 1909 | #1,721 | 8 | 0.0023% |
| 1908 | #1,416 | 10 | 0.0030% |
| 1907 | #1,610 | 8 | 0.0025% |
| 1905 | #1,657 | 7 | 0.0024% |
| 1904 | #1,156 | 11 | 0.0040% |
| 1903 | #1,290 | 9 | 0.0034% |
| 1902 | #1,194 | 10 | 0.0038% |
| 1901 | #1,119 | 10 | 0.0042% |
| 1900 | #1,536 | 8 | 0.0027% |
| 1899 | #968 | 12 | 0.0051% |
| 1898 | #880 | 16 | 0.0062% |
| 1897 | #923 | 13 | 0.0056% |
| 1896 | #989 | 12 | 0.0050% |
| 1895 | #811 | 16 | 0.0068% |
| 1894 | #840 | 14 | 0.0063% |
| 1893 | #855 | 13 | 0.0061% |
| 1892 | #854 | 13 | 0.0061% |
| 1891 | #569 | 22 | 0.0119% |
| 1890 | #863 | 11 | 0.0058% |
| 1889 | #831 | 11 | 0.0062% |
| 1888 | #1,016 | 8 | 0.0045% |
| 1887 | #925 | 8 | 0.0055% |
| 1886 | #725 | 11 | 0.0076% |
| 1885 | #686 | 11 | 0.0083% |
| 1884 | #779 | 9 | 0.0070% |
| 1883 | #895 | 6 | 0.0053% |
| 1881 | #916 | 5 | 0.0054% |
| 1880 | #915 | 5 | 0.0055% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ottilia Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are patient, persevering and strong willed. You are a good student, absorbing knowledge easily and retaining it well. You are either a saint or a sinner. You tend to hold things inside and suffer in silence. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Ottilia's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ottilia's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.