Total births
4,473
Boys' name · since 1880
Ottis
Ottis has 4,473 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6205
- among boys today
- 4,473
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other boys
4,473 babies have been named Ottis since 1880, making it today's #6205 boys' name.
Ottis has 4,473 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6205 as of the latest data, more common than 57% 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 1880 to 2025.
- #6205 among boys today
- 4,473 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 57% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ottis is currently the #6205 boys' name in America, more common than 57% of boys - 4,473 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6205
- among boys today
- 4,473
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other boys
Ottis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6205
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 57% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Ottis was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
130 babies were named Ottis in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Ottis compares
4,473 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Ottis's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ottis | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,473 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 130 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ottis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ottis splits its recorded history at 1949: 25% of all births land in the more recent half, 75% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1901 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 130 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ottis at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#6,205
Active since
1880
Ottis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 130
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ottis popularity over time - girls
174 total births recorded since 1898 (Ottis as girls' name)
Ottis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ottis's strongest decade.
1,080 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Ottis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 55
1880s
55 births
- 1890s 102
1890s
102 births
- 1900s 151
1900s
151 births
- 1910s
1910s
719 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,080 births
- 1930s
1930s
739 births
- 1940s
1940s
561 births
- 1950s 367
1950s
367 births
- 1960s 221
1960s
221 births
- 1970s 168
1970s
168 births
- 1980s 95
1980s
95 births
- 1990s 58
1990s
58 births
- 2000s 31
2000s
31 births
- 2010s 52
2010s
52 births
- 2020s 74
2020s
74 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,080 births (24% of all-time use).
How Ottis 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 Ottis's total volume
Ottis vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ottis by state
Where Ottis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 371 | 8.3% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 357 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Mississippi | | 351 | 7.8% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 266 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 253 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 250 | 5.6% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 172 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Arkansas | | 104 | 2.3% |
Kentucky share of Ottis's total US births 8.3%
Even split
371 of 4,473 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Ottis appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ottis? ▼
4,473 babies have been named Ottis since 1880. It currently ranks #6205 among boys. The peak year was 1920 with 130 births.
When was Ottis most popular? ▼
Ottis was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,080 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Ottis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ottis are Kentucky (371 births), Alabama (357 births), Mississippi (351 births).
How long has the name Ottis been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ottis since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ottis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Otto, Ottie, Ottavio, Ott, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ottis's data
- Ottis's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,080 total births); usage has since declined to 74 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Ottiss (371 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Ottis
Nearby Names Like Ottis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ottis
Otto Boy
#274 39,915 births
Ottie Boy
609 births
Ottavio Boy
#11033 95 births
Ott Boy
84 births
Ottoniel Boy
22 births
Compare Ottis side by side: Ottis vs Otto Ottis vs Ottie Ottis vs Ottavio
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ottis
Mitchel #6204
13,287 births · Peak 1994
Samual #6206
5,594 births · Peak 1997
Ernie #6203
16,520 births · Peak 1959
Joesph #6207
15,650 births · Peak 1957
Norris #6202
16,456 births · Peak 1924
Kay #6208
3,924 births · Peak 1934
Bud #6201
9,502 births · Peak 1928
Stafford #6209
2,850 births · Peak 1959
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. "Ottis: #6205 Boys' Name - 4,473 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ottis. 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 Ottis 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.