Total births
687
Unisex name · since 1913
Othello
Othello has 687 recorded births since 1913 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1923 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5681
- among boys today
- 687
- born since 1913
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Othello is the #5681 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 687 recorded since 1913.
Othello has 687 recorded births among boys since 1913, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5681 as of the latest data, more common than 60% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #5681 among boys today
- 687 born since 1913
- 1920s peak decade
- 60% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Othello is currently the #5681 unisex name in America, more common than 60% of boys - 687 born since 1913, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5681
- among boys today
- 687
- born since 1913
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Othello vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5681
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 60% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Othello was born in this single decade.
1923
Single peak year
16 babies were named Othello in 1923 - its busiest year on record.
How Othello compares
687 Top 37% higher than 63% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Othello's all-time total is 87% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Othello | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 687 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 16 | 23 | 22,252 |
Othello's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Othello's full recorded timeline at 1963, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1913, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1923 peak of 16 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Othello at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1923
Current rank
#5,681
Active since
1913
Othello popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (1923)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Othello popularity over time - girls
116 total births recorded since 1905 (Othello as girls' name)
Othello by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Othello's strongest decade.
91 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Othello births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
69 births
- 1920s
1920s
91 births
- 1930s
1930s
41 births
- 1940s
1940s
65 births
- 1950s
1950s
54 births
- 1960s
1960s
40 births
- 1970s
1970s
47 births
- 1980s 29
1980s
29 births
- 1990s
1990s
41 births
- 2000s
2000s
64 births
- 2010s
2010s
70 births
- 2020s
2020s
76 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 91 births (13% of all-time use).
How Othello 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 Othello's total volume
Othello vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Othello by state
Where Othello concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 6 | 0.9% |
Texas share of Othello's total US births 0.9%
6 of 687 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Othello? ▼
Othello has been given to 687 babies in the U.S. since 1913, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5681 as of the latest data. 16 babies were born in 1923, its single highest year.
When was Othello most popular? ▼
Othello was most popular in the 1920s decade with 91 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Where is Othello most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Othello are Texas (6 births).
Is Othello a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Othello is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 687 births, and as a girl's name it has 116 births.
How long has the name Othello been used? ▼
Records for Othello go back to 1913, giving 113 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Othello? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Otha, Otho, Othel, Othniel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Othello's data
- Othello's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (91 total births) through the 2020s (76) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Othellos (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Othello
Nearby Names Like Othello
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Othello
Otha Boy
6,386 births
Otho Boy
3,328 births
Othel Boy
732 births
Othniel Boy
#3708 715 births
Othman Boy
#4018 536 births
Compare Othello side by side: Othello vs Otha Othello vs Otho Othello vs Othel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Othello
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Othello: #5681 Unisex Name - 687 Births, Peak 1923." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/othello. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Othello 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 June 2026.