Total births
61,082
Boys' name · since 1880
Otis
61,082 babies named Otis 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.
- #732
- among boys today
- 61,082
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Otis is the #732 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 61,082 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Otis recorded 61,082 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #732 nationally today, ahead of 95% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #732 among boys today
- 61,082 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Otis is currently the #732 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 61,082 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #732
- among boys today
- 61,082
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Otis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#732
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Otis was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
1,031 babies were named Otis in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Otis compares
61,082 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Otis's all-time total is 166x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Otis | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 61,082 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,031 | 23 | 22,252 |
Otis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Otis splits its recorded history at 1953: 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 2003 (78 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 1,031 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Otis at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1920
Current rank
#732
Active since
1880
Otis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 1,031
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Otis popularity over time - girls
887 total births recorded since 1889 (Otis as girls' name)
Otis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Otis's strongest decade.
9,352 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Otis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,006
1880s
1,006 births
- 1890s 1,349
1890s
1,349 births
- 1900s 1,966
1900s
1,966 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,963 births
- 1920s
1920s
9,352 births
- 1930s
1930s
7,456 births
- 1940s
1940s
7,654 births
- 1950s
1950s
7,285 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,955 births
- 1970s 3,553
1970s
3,553 births
- 1980s 2,237
1980s
2,237 births
- 1990s 1,367
1990s
1,367 births
- 2000s 1,028
2000s
1,028 births
- 2010s 2,414
2010s
2,414 births
- 2020s 2,497
2020s
2,497 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 9,352 births (15% of all-time use).
How Otis 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 Otis's total volume
Otis vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Otis by state
Where Otis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 5,309 | 8.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,309 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 3,576 | 5.9% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 3,295 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 3,258 | 5.3% |
| #6 | South Carolina | | 2,742 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 2,564 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 2,455 | 4.0% |
Georgia share of Otis's total US births 8.7%
Even split
5,309 of 61,082 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Otis appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Otis? ▼
61,082 babies have been named Otis since 1880. It currently ranks #732 among boys. The peak year was 1920 with 1,031 births.
When was Otis most popular? ▼
Otis was most popular in the 1920s decade with 9,352 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Otis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Otis are Georgia (5,309 births), Texas (4,309 births), Alabama (3,576 births).
How long has the name Otis been used? ▼
Records for Otis go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Otis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Otilio, Otie, Oties. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Otis's data
- Otis's decade-level peak was the 1920s (9,352 total births); usage has since declined to 2,497 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Otiss (5,309 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Otis
Nearby Names Like Otis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Otis
Compare Otis side by side: Otis vs Otilio Otis vs Otie Otis vs Oties
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Otis
Tommy #731
178,733 births · Peak 1947
Braylon #733
18,796 births · Peak 2009
Nikolas #730
24,035 births · Peak 2004
Azrael #734
3,188 births · Peak 2025
Ryland #729
13,169 births · Peak 2013
Tomas #735
30,703 births · Peak 2003
Clyde #728
144,994 births · Peak 1920
Chandler #736
36,507 births · Peak 1999
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Otis: #732 Boys' Name - 61,082 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/otis. 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 Otis 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.