Unisex name · since 1880
Otha
6,386 babies named Otha in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,534 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 6,386
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Otha sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 6,386 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Otha has been recorded 6,386 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2018.
- #1,534 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 6,386 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Otha ranks #1,534 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 6,386 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,534 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 6,386
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Otha's 6,386 recorded births place it above 96.62% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
20 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Mississippi.
Otha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Otha splits its recorded history at 1946: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1999 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 140 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Otha popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2018
- Peak year (1920)
- 140
- Annual births at peak, across 139 years of records
Otha popularity over time - girls
1,403 total births recorded since 1887 (Otha as girls' name)
Otha by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (1,172 births, 18% of the file).
1920s was Otha's strongest decade.
1,172 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Otha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 73
1880s
73 births
- 1890s 146
1890s
146 births
- 1900s 222
1900s
222 births
- 1910s
1910s
839 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,172 births
- 1930s
1930s
946 births
- 1940s
1940s
961 births
- 1950s
1950s
852 births
- 1960s
1960s
493 births
- 1970s 298
1970s
298 births
- 1980s 192
1980s
192 births
- 1990s 116
1990s
116 births
- 2000s 59
2000s
59 births
- 2010s 17
2010s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,172 births (18% of all-time use).
How Otha compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Otha's total volume
Otha by state
Where Otha concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 926 | 14.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 473 | 7.4% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 425 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 318 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 312 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 299 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 283 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 212 | 3.3% |
926 of 6,386 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Otha appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Otha? ▼
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When was Otha most popular? ▼
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What to do with Otha's data
- Otha's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,172 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Othas (926 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Otha
Nearby Names Like Otha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Otha
Compare Otha side by side: Otha vs Otho Otha vs Othel Otha vs Othniel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Otha: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1920)
Similar record span (~138 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2018 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Otha draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.