Otto
Boy name · #277 in 2025 · Uniqueness 33/100
In 2025, 1,241 baby boys were named Otto, placing it at #277 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #544, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,450 boys born in 2025 was named Otto.
Babies named Otto per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Otto first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 271 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 1,244 babies and a rank of #274. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Otto against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Otto in class?
Otto scores 33 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Otto is most common
Geography matters for names, and Otto is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Ottos were CA (114), OH (72), MN (69), PA (66), NY (64). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Otto
Statistically, parents drawn to Otto tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Niko, Nico, Onyx, Cairo, and Arlo.
NikoNicoOnyxCairoArloTadeoKyloCrew
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Otto | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,241 | #277 |
| 2024 | 1,244 | #274 |
| 2023 | 1,193 | #282 |
| 2022 | 1,082 | #311 |
| 2021 | 975 | #334 |
| 2020 | 792 | #389 |
| 2019 | 719 | #429 |
| 2018 | 707 | #431 |
| 2017 | 617 | #478 |
| 2016 | 560 | #526 |
| 2015 | 526 | #544 |
| 2014 | 417 | #629 |
| 2013 | 343 | #696 |
| 2012 | 288 | #786 |
| 2011 | 213 | #935 |
| 2010 | 180 | #1068 |
| 2009 | 172 | #1078 |
| 2008 | 136 | #1276 |
| 2007 | 145 | #1215 |
| 2006 | 134 | #1249 |
| 2005 | 127 | #1245 |
| 2004 | 115 | #1292 |
| 2003 | 97 | #1381 |
| 2002 | 91 | #1424 |
| 2001 | 90 | #1390 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Otto a popular boy name?
Otto ranked #277 among boys in 2025 with 1,241 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #544.
When was the name Otto most popular?
Otto peaked in 2024, when 1,244 American boys received the name (ranked #274 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Otto?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,450 newborn American boys was named Otto. It scores 33/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.