Otto is a masculine

German given name Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names (''Vorname'', plural ''Vornamen'') and a surname (''Nachname, Familienname''). The ''Vorname'' is usually gender-specific. A name is usually cited in the " Western orde ...

and a surname. It originates as an

Old High German Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050. There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...

short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', ''

Udo Udo is a masculine given name. It may refer to: People Medieval era *Udo of Neustria, 9th century nobleman * Udo (Obotrite prince) (died 1028) * Udo (archbishop of Trier) (c. 1030 – 1078) * Lothair Udo II, Margrave of the Nordmark (c. 1025 � ...

'') of

Germanic names Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements, by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from ', for "noble", and ', for "counsel". However, there are also ...

beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded from the 7th century ( Odo, son of Uro, courtier of

Sigebert III Sigebert III ( 630–656) was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 633 to his death around 656. He was described as the first Merovingian '' roi fainéant'' —do-nothing king—, in effect the mayor of the palace ruling the kingdom throug ...

). It was the name of three 10th-century German kings, the first of whom was

Otto I the Great Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of Hen ...

, the first Holy Roman Emperor, founder of the

Ottonian The Ottonian dynasty (german: Ottonen) was a Saxon dynasty of German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman Emperors named Otto, especially its first Emperor Otto I. It is also known as the Saxon dynasty after the ...

dynasty. The Gothic form of the prefix was ''auda-'' (as in e.g. '' Audaþius''), the Anglo-Saxon form was ''ead-'' (as in e.g. '' Eadmund''), and the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

form was '' auð-''. The given name Otis arose from an English surname, which was in turn derived from ''Ode'', a variant form of ''Odo, Otto''. Due to Otto von Bismarck, the given name ''Otto'' was strongly associated with the German Empire in the later 19th century. It was comparatively frequently given in the United States (presumably in German American families) during the 1880s to 1890s, remaining in the top 100 most popular masculine given names in the US throughout 1880–1898, but its popularity decreased significantly after 1900 with increasing

anti-German sentiment Anti-German sentiment (also known as Anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language. Its opposite is Germanophilia. Anti-German sentiment largely began wit ...

leading up to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

; it fell below rank 200 in 1919, below rank 500 in 1947, and below rank 1000 in 1975; it re-entered the top-1000 most popular given names in the US only in the 2010s, ranking 696th as of 2013.US statistics (behindthename.com)

People called Otto

Medieval

Otto (mayor of the palace) Otto (died 643 or 644) was the mayor of the palace of Austrasia briefly in the mid-seventh century. Otto was the son of a '' domesticus'' named Uro who served in the court of Dagobert I. Otto was raised with Dagobert's son Sigebert III and subsequ ...

(died 643 or 644), mayor of the palace of Austrasia briefly in the mid-7th century * Otto I, Duke of Saxony (851–912) * the

dynasty ** Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912–973) ** Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor (955–983) **

Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. Otto III was crowned as King of ...

(980–1002) *

Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 11 ...

(1175/1176–1218) * Otto of Bamberg (1060/1061–1139), bishop and Catholic saint *

Otto of Freising Otto of Freising ( la, Otto Frisingensis; c. 1114 – 22 September 1158) was a German churchman of the Cistercian order and chronicled at least two texts which carries valuable information on the political history of his own time. He was Otto I ...

(c. 1114–1158), bishop and chronicler

Modern

Otto of Greece Otto (, ; 1 June 181526 July 1867) was a Bavarian prince who ruled as King of Greece from the establishment of the monarchy on 27 May 1832, under the Convention of London, until he was deposed on 23 October 1862. The second son of King Ludw ...

(1815–1867), King of Greece *

Otto Barić Otto Barić (; 19 June 1933 – 13 December 2020) was a Croatian professional football player and manager. Coaching career 1970s to 1980s Born in Eisenkappel, near Klagenfurt, Barić started his coaching career in 1969 at West German club Germ ...

(1933–2020), Croatian footballer and manager *

Otto, King of Bavaria Otto (german: Otto Wilhelm Luitpold Adalbert Waldemar; 27 April 1848 – 11 October 1916) was King of Bavaria from 1886 until 1913. However, he never actively ruled because of alleged severe mental illness. His uncle, Luitpold, and his cousin, ...

(1848–1916), King of Bavaria *

Otto Adler Otto Adler is the president of the Jewish Association of Romania, a Holocaust survivor and a polyglot. He can speak fluently in Romanian, Hebrew, English, French, German, Hungarian and Russian. Early life He was born in 1929 into a large Jew ...

, president of the Jewish Association of Romania * Otto T. Bannard (1854–1929), American attorney, businessman and philanthropist *

Otto Carius Otto Carius (27 May 1922 – 24 January 2015) was a German tank commander in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He fought on the Eastern Front in 1943 and 1944 and on the Western Front in 1945. Carius is considered a "panzer ace", some sources ...

(1922–2015), German tank ace and pharmacist *

Otto Diels Otto Paul Hermann Diels (; 23 January 1876 – 7 March 1954) was a German chemist. His most notable work was done with Kurt Alder on the Diels–Alder reaction, a method for diene synthesis. The pair was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemis ...

(1876–1954), German chemist *

Otto Dix Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix (; 2 December 1891 – 25 July 1969) was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of German society during the Weimar Republic and the brutality of war. Along with George ...

(1891–1969), German painter and printmaker *

Otto Dowling Otto Carl Dowling (February 28, 1881 – April 14, 1946) was a United States Navy Captain, and the 25th Governor of American Samoa from April 17, 1934, to January 15, 1936. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1903. Dowling se ...

(1881–1946), 25th Governor of American Samoa *

Otto Farrant Otto Farrant (born 13 November 1996) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the titular character in Amazon Prime's spy thriller series ''Alex Rider'' (2020–present), which received critical acclaim. He previously had supp ...

, British actor *

Otto Fischer (footballer) Otto "Schloime" Fischer (1 January 1901 – 1 July 1941) was a former Austrian football player who played left winger, and coached. He made 7 appearances for the Austria national football team. He was killed in the Liepāja massacres in Latv ...

(1901–1941), Austrian (soccer) football player and coach * Otto Förschner (1902–1946), German Nazi SS concentration camp commandant; executed for war crimes *

Otto Frank Otto Heinrich Frank (12 May 1889 – 19 August 1980) was a German businessman who later became a resident of the Netherlands and Switzerland. He was the father of Anne and Margot Frank and husband of Edith Frank, and was the sole member o ...

(1889–1980), German-born Swiss business man, father of

Anne Frank Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – )Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new light on Anne Fra ...

Otto Freundlich Otto Freundlich (10 July 1878 – 9 March 1943) was a German painter and sculptor of Jewish origin. A part of the first generation of abstract painters in Western art, Freundlich was a great admirer of cubism. Life Freundlich was born in ...

(1878–1943), German painter and sculptor *

Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Graha ...

(1921–2003), professional American football and basketball player *

Otto Graf Lambsdorff Otto Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, known as Otto Graf Lambsdorff (20 December 1926 – 5 December 2009), was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP). Early life and education Lambsdorff was bo ...

(1926–2009), German politician *

Otto Grotewohl Otto Emil Franz Grotewohl (; 11 March 1894 – 21 September 1964) was a German politician who served as the first prime minister of the German Democratic Republic (GDR/East Germany) from its foundation in October 1949 until his death in Septembe ...

(1894–1964), East German politician *

Otto Hahn Otto Hahn (; 8 March 1879 – 28 July 1968) was a German chemist who was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He is referred to as the father of nuclear chemistry and father of nuclear fission. Hahn and Lise Meitner ...

(1879–1968), German chemist *

Otto Herschmann Dr. Otto Herschmann (4 January 1877 – 17 June 1942) was an Austrian Jewish swimmer, fencer, lawyer, and sports official. He is one of only a few athletes who have won Olympic medals in multiple sports, having received a silver medal in swi ...

(1877–1942), Austrian Olympic fencing and swimming medalist *

Otto Knows Otto Jettman, better known by his stage name Otto Knows, (born 6 May 1989) is a Swedish DJ, record producer and remixer who has had a number of hits in Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands and has collaborated with artists including Britney Spears ...

(born 1989), Swedish DJ *

Otto Klemperer Otto Nossan Klemperer (14 May 18856 July 1973) was a 20th-century conductor and composer, originally based in Germany, and then the US, Hungary and finally Britain. His early career was in opera houses, but he was later better known as a concer ...

(1885–1973), German-born conductor and composer *

Otto Kraushaar Otto Frederick Krausharr (November 19, 1901 – September 23, 1989) was an American professor of philosophy who served as the 6th president of Goucher College. Kraushaar was also a professor at Smith College for 15 years. Early life and education ...

(1901–1989), American academic *

Otto Kretschmer Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 – 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. For ...

(1912–1998), German World War II U-boat captain * Otto Lietchen (1887–1977), American politician *

Otto Lilienthal Karl Wilhelm Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896) was a German pioneer of aviation who became known as the "flying man". He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with gliders, therefore making ...

(1848–1896), German aviator * Otto Ludvig Beckman (1856–1909), Swedish Coastal Artillery major general * Otto Lybeck (1871–1947), Swedish Navy admiral * Otto Mahler (1873–1895), Bohemian-Austrian composer, brother of

Gustav Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to: *Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin Art, entertainment, and media * ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film * ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short cart ...

Otto Moll Otto Hermann Wilhelm Moll (4 March 1915 – 28 May 1946) was an SS non-commissioned officer who committed numerous atrocities at the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. The ''SS-Hauptscharführer'', who held the rank of Qua ...

, (1915–1946), German SS-Hauptscharführer at Auschwitz concentration camp; executed for war crimes *

Otto Ohlendorf Otto Ohlendorf (; 4 February 1907 – 7 June 1951) was a German SS functionary and Holocaust perpetrator during the Nazi era. An economist by education, he was head of the (SD) Inland, responsible for intelligence and security within Germ ...

(1907–1951), German SS general and Holocaust perpetrator; executed for war crimes * Otto Peterson (1960–2014), American comedian ( Otto & George ventriloquism act) *

Otto Porter Otto Porter Jr. (born June 3, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas and was selected with the third overall ...

(born 1993), American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards, NBA * Otto Planetta (1899–1934), Austrian Nazi Waffen-SS who murdered Austrian Chancellor

Engelbert Dollfuss Engelbert Dollfuß (alternatively: ''Dolfuss'', ; 4 October 1892 – 25 July 1934) was an Austrian clerical fascist politician who served as Chancellor of Austria between 1932 and 1934. Having served as Minister for Forests and Agriculture, he ...

Otto Plath Otto Emil Plath (April 13, 1885 – November 5, 1940) was a German American writer, academic, and biologist. Plath worked as a professor of biology and German at Boston University, and as an entomologist, with a specific expertise on bum ...

(1885–1940), father of American poet

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, '' Th ...

, and entomologist * Otto Pohla (1899–1941), Estonian wrestler *

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...

(1905–1986), Austro–Hungarian-born American film director *

Otto Rehhagel Otto Rehhagel (; born 9 August 1938) is a German former football coach and player. Rehhagel is one of only two people who, as player and manager combined, has participated in over 1,000 Bundesliga matches (the other being Jupp Heynckes). In t ...

(born 1938), German football coach * Otto Sigfrid Reuter (1876–1945), German ''völkisch''-religious ideologue *

Otto Sauter-Sarto Otto Sauter-Sarto (29 April 1884 – 19 January 1958) was a German actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1920 and 1956. Selected filmography * '' Lumpaci the Vagabond'' (1922) * '' Katharina Knie'' (1929) * ''The Blue of Heaven'' (1932) * ...

(1884–1958), German actor * Otto Scheff (1889–1956), Austrian Olympic swimming champion *

Otto Schily Otto Georg Schily (born 20 July 1932) is a former Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany, his tenure was from 1998 to 2005, in the cabinet of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Earl ...

(born 1932), German politician * Otto Schmitt (field hockey) (born 1965), Argentine field hockey goalkeeper *

Otto Skorzeny Otto Johann Anton Skorzeny (12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975) was an Austrian-born German SS-''Obersturmbannführer'' (lieutenant colonel) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. During the war, he was involved in a number of operations, including th ...

(1908–1975), Austrian-born

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...

commando *

Otto Sohn-Rethel Otto Wilhelm Sohn-Rethel (1877–1949) German lepidopterist and a painter of the Düsseldorf school of painting art movement. Sohn-Rethel was a member of the art groups, Sonderbund group and Young Rhineland. The prominent theme of his art was al ...

(1877–1949), German painter and

lepidopterist Lepidopterology ()) is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian. Origins Post-Renaissance, t ...

. *

Otto Soglow Otto Soglow (December 23, 1900 – April 3, 1975) was an American cartoonist best known for his comic strip ''The Little King ''The Little King'' is a 1930-1975 American gag-a-day comic strip created by Otto Soglow, telling its stories in a ...

(1900–1975), American cartoonist *

Otto Strandman Otto August Strandman ( – 5 February 1941) was an Estonian politician, who served as prime minister (1919) and State Elder of Estonia (1929–1931). He was one of the leaders of the centre-left Estonian Labour Party, that saw its biggest supp ...

(1875–1941), Estonian politician, former Prime Minister * Otto Tief (1889–1976), Estonian politician, military commander, lawyer, former Prime Minister * Otto van Verschuer (1927–2014), Dutch politician *

Otto Christian Archibald von Bismarck Otto Christian Archibald, Prince of Bismarck (25 September 1897 in Schönhausen, Brandenburg – 24 December 1975), was a German politician and diplomat, and the Prince of Bismarck from 1904 to his death (since 1919 only as a part of his n ...

(1897–1975), German politician and diplomat * Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898), Prussian/German statesman *

Otto von Habsburg Otto von Habsburg (german: Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, hu, Ferenc József Ottó Róbert Mária Antal Károly Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Lajos Gaetan ...

(1912–2011), head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine from 1922 to 2007 *

Otto Waalkes Otto Gerhard Waalkes (born 22 July 1948) is a German comedian, actor, and musician. He became famous in the 1970s and 1980s in Germany with his shows, books and films. His best known trademark are the 'Ottifanten' ('Ottiphants'), elephant-like c ...

(born 1948), German comedian and actor *

Otto Wagner Otto Koloman Wagner (; 13 July 1841 – 11 April 1918) was an Austrian architect, furniture designer and urban planner. He was a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement of architecture, founded in 1897, and the broader Art Nouveau move ...

(1841–1918), Austrian architect * Otto Wahle (1879–1963), Austrian-born American Olympic swimming medalist and Hall of Fame *

Otto F. Walter Otto F. Walter (5 June 1928 born as ''Otto Friedrich Walter'' – 24 September 1994) was a Swiss publisher (Walter Verlag), author and novelist, which is well known in the German language countries. Otto Friedrich Walter was the younger brothe ...

(1928–1994), Swiss journalist, author and publisher *

Otto Warmbier Otto Frederick Warmbier (December 12, 1994 – June 19, 2017) was an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion. In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state and died ...

(1994–2017), American student imprisoned in North Korea *

Otto Weininger Otto Weininger (; 3 April 1880 – 4 October 1903) was an Austrian philosopher who lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1903, he published the book ''Geschlecht und Charakter'' (''Sex and Character''), which gained popularity after his suici ...

(1880–1903), Christian Austrian philosopher * Otto Maximiliano Pereira de Cordeiro Ferreira (born 1968), Brazilian singer-songwriter, drummer and TV presenter *

Otto Wichterle Otto Wichterle (; 27 October 1913 – 18 August 1998) was a Czech chemist, best known for his invention of modern soft contact lenses. Wichterle is the author or co-author of approximately 180 patents and over 200 publications. The studie ...

(1913–1998), Czech chemist, best known for his invention of modern soft contact lenses * Otto S. Wolfbeis (born 1947), professor of

analytical chemistry Analytical chemistry studies and uses instruments and methods to separate, identify, and quantify matter. In practice, separation, identification or quantification may constitute the entire analysis or be combined with another method. Separati ...

and interface chemistry at the

University of Regensburg The University of Regensburg (german: link=no, Universität Regensburg) is a public research university located in the medieval city of Regensburg, Bavaria, a city that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university was founded on 18 ...

* Otto Hindrich (2002-), Romanian Footballer

Fictional entities

* Otto Delaney, a character in the drama '' Sons of Anarchy'' on the American TV network FX, played by series creator

Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter (born May 5, 1960) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a producer, writer, and director on ''The Shield,'' and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of ...

* Herr Otto Flick, a character in the BBC sitcom ''

'Allo 'Allo! ''Allo 'Allo!'' is a British sitcom television series, created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, starring Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Guy Siner and Richard Gibson. Originally broadcast on BBC1, the series focuses on the life of a Fre ...

'' * Otto Hightower, Hand of the King to Viserys Targaryen in HBO series

House of the Dragon ''House of the Dragon'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), it is the second TV show in the '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' franch ...

* Otto Maddox, the main character in the 1984 film '' Repo Man'' * Otto Malpense, the main character in the ''H.I.V.E.'' series by Mark Walden * Otto Mann, character on the animated TV series ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' * Otto Octavius, fictional Marvel Comics supervillain otherwise known as

Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...

. One of Spider-Man's nemeses * Jake, Jeremiah, and Troy Otto, character on ''Fear the Walking Dead'', Season 3 * Oswald "Otto" Rocket, the main character of Nickelodeon's '' Rocket Power'' * Otto Osworth, the main character of Cartoon Network's ''

Time Squad ''Time Squad'' is an American animated television series created by Dave Wasson for Cartoon Network and the 10th of the network's Cartoon Cartoons. It follows the adventures of Otto Osworth, Buck Tuddrussel, and the robot Larry 3000, a trio of h ...

'' * Otto Suwen, a character in the anime/manga series '' Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World'' * Otto, the inflatable "auto" pilot in the 1980 comedy film ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison (film prod ...

'' * Otto West, the main antagonist in the 1988 heist comedy '' A Fish Called Wanda'' * Otto, one of the main Minions in the 2022 computer-animated comedy film '' Minions: The Rise of Gru'' * Ottoriki, one of the main characters in American animated children's television series GoGoRiki.

Animals

* Otto (dog) (1989–2010), world's oldest dog * ''

Otocinclus ''Otocinclus'' is a genus of catfish in the family Loricariidae native to South America, commonly known as "dwarf suckers" or "otos". This genus, like other loricariids, is characterized by rows of armour plating covering the body, as well as ...

'', Sucking catfish, often known as 'Otto'

References

External links

AUDName List: Auð-
(nordicnames.de) {{Given name Danish masculine given names Dutch masculine given names English masculine given names Estonian masculine given names Finnish masculine given names German masculine given names Icelandic masculine given names Masculine given names Norwegian masculine given names Swedish masculine given names