Ottilie is a feminine given name. It is a French derivative of the medieval

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

masculine name

Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fr ...

and, like other related Germanic names beginning with the

prefix A prefix is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Particularly in the study of languages, a prefix is also called a preformative, because it alters the form of the word to which it is affixed. Prefixes, like other affixes, can b ...

es , , , , , or , has the meaning "prosperous in battle", "riches", "prosperous" or "

wealth Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an ...

". The English place name

Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 2011 c ...

and surname Ottley are related names.

Usage

The name has been in use among

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

and

families since the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

era.

Odilia of Cologne Saint Odilia (or Odile or Ottilia) is a Saint venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, although according to the current liturgical calendar, her feast day (18 July) is not officially commemorated. She is a patroness of good eyesight. Legend L ...

is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

who was a

virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

companion of

Saint Ursula Ursula (Latin for 'little she-bear') was a Romano-British virgin and martyr possibly of royal origin. She is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion. Her feast day in the pre-1970 G ...

, according to Catholic tradition. According to legend,

Odile of Alsace Odile of Alsace, also known as Odilia and Ottilia, born - at Mont Sainte-Odile), is a saint venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. She is a patroness saint of good eyesight and of the region of Alsace. Saint ...

, another

saint, was born blind but regained her sight when she was

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

. The saints, who are both also known as Ottilie or Ottilia, were revered in France, Germany, and Switzerland. Ottilie is a variant of Odile. Ottilia, Ottiliana, and Ottoline are variants of Ottilie. Ottilie was in occasional use in the United Kingdom by the

19th century The 19th century began on 1 January 1801 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 (MCM). It was the 9th century of the 2nd millennium. It was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was Abolitionism, ...

, where it was in use mainly by families of

and

descent who had settled in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

and

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

as well as in London. Ottilie and variant Ottoline came into rare, occasional use among

upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status. Usually, these are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper cla ...

English families by the early 20th century. Ottilie continued to gradually increase in use among socially influential British families during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Between 2010 and 2018, it was among the top 50 names most often given to newborn girls whose parents published a birth announcement in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' and was the most popular name for girls for the first time in 2019. Ottilie has remained a popular name for girls in subsequent years among readers who published a birth announcement in the British newspaper. One study found that Ottilie was the second most popular name chosen by

billionaire A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least 1,000,000,000, one billion units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. It is a sub-category of the concept of the ultr ...

s for their daughters. The name has also increased in overall popularity in England and Wales since 2010. It has ranked among the top 500 names for girls in those countries since 2015 and was the 83rd most popular name for girls there in 2022. Usage of the names Ottilie and Ottilia in the United States was greatest in the 1800s among Austrian,

Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...

, German, Polish, and Swiss immigrants. Many variants and elaborations of the name were also in use. It is now an unfamiliar name to many Americans, but is also increasing in usage in the United States. Usage of the name for American girls nearly doubled from 2022, when 34 American girls were named Ottilie, to 2023, when 67 American girls were given the name. Usage of the name might have increased in the United States after an American

influencer A social media influencer, or simply influencer (also known as an online influencer), is a person who builds a grassroots online presence through engaging content such as photos, videos, and updates. This is done by using direct audience intera ...

used the variant name Ottlie for her daughter in 2023.

Women named Ottilie

Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen (c. 1451 – 15 August 1517, Baden-Baden), was by marriage Margravine of Baden-Baden. Life She was the only child of Philipp II ''the Younger'' of Katzenelnbogen (1427 – 27 February 1453) and Ottilie of Nassau-Siege ...

(1451–1517), German aristocrat *

Ottilie of Nassau-Siegen (1437–1493) Countess Ottilie of Nassau-SiegenIn many sources she is called Ottilie of Nassau-Dillenburg. The County of Nassau-Siegen is erroneously called Nassau-Dillenburg in many sources. The county was not named after the small, unimportant city of Dille ...

, German aristocrat *

Ottilie Abrahams Ottilie Grete Abrahams (2 September 19372 July 2018) was a Namibian educator, activist, and politician. Personal Abrahams was born on 2 September 1937 in the Old Location township outside of Windhoek. Abrahams was the daughter of Otto Schimming ...

(1937–2018), Namibian activist *

Ottilie Assing Ottilie Davida Assing (11 February 1819 – 21 August 1884) was a German-American feminist, freethinker, and abolitionist, known for her friendship with Frederick Douglass. Early life and education Born in Hamburg, she was the eldest daught ...

(1819–1884), German journalist *

Ottilie Baader Ottilie Baader (30 May 184724 July 1925) was a German women's rights activist and socialist. In 1900–1908, she was a central agent () of the comrades of Germany (Social Democratic Party). Baader was one of the founders of the first trade un ...

(1847–1925), German women's rights activist and socialist * Ottilie von Bistram (1859–1931), Latvian writer and teacher * Ottilie Bondy (1832–1921), Austrian women's rights activist and women's association official * Ottilie Davidová (1892–1943), Austrian-Czech Jewish woman, the youngest of

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a novelist and writer from Prague who was Jewish, Austrian, and Czech and wrote in German. He is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of Litera ...

's three sisters * Johanna Gabrielle Ottilie "Tilly" Edinger (1897–1967), German-born Jewish-American paleontologist and the founder of paleoneurology * Ottilie Fleischer (1911–2005), German athlete * Ottilie Louise Fresco (born 1952), Dutch scientist *

Ottilie Genée Ottilie Genée, also Ottilie Fritzsch (4 August 1834 − 14 November 1911), was a German stage actress and operatic soprano. Life Born in Dreden, the sister of Richard Genée and Rudolph Genée made her debut as a child at the Gdańsk City Th ...

(1834–1911), German stage actress and operatic soprano *

Otti Geschka Otti Geschka (born Ottilie Bördner; 27 December 1939) is a German pediatric nurse and politician. Being a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) she was elected as the first female mayor of Rüsselsheim, Hesse, in 1993 and was in offi ...

(born 1939), full name Ottilie Geschka, German pediatric nurse and politician * Ottilie Godefroy (1880–1971), Austrian actress who performed under the name Tilla Durieux *

Ottilie von Goethe Ottilie Wilhelmine Ernestine Henriette von Goethe (born ''Freiin von Pogwisch''; 31 October 1796, Danzig – 26 October 1872, Weimar) was a German socialite and the daughter-in-law of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Biography Her father, Wilhelm Jul ...

(1796–1872), German socialite and the daughter-in-law of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe *

Ottilie von Hansemann Ottilie von Hansemann (11 April 1840 in Koblenz – 12 December 1919 in Berlin) was a German women's rights activist, significant patroness of the women's movement in Prussia, and a champion for the right of women to attend German universities, to p ...

(1840–1919), German women's rights activist *Ottilie Houser Brattain, American mathematician and mother of the physicist

Walter Houser Brattain Walter Houser Brattain (; February 10, 1902 – October 13, 1987) was an American solid-state physicist who shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics with John Bardeen and William Shockley for their invention of the point-contact transistor. Bra ...

Ottilie Hoffmann Ottilie Franziska Hoffmann (14 July 183520 December 1925) was a German educationalist and social reformer who came to prominence as a pioneering temperance activist. Early life and education Ottilie Hoffmann was born in the central quarter of ...

(1835–1925), German educationalist and social reformer *

Ottilie Klein Ottilie Klein (born 14 February 1984) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as a member of the Bundestag since 2021. In addition to her parliamentary work, she has been the secretary general of the C ...

(born 1984), German politician *

Tillie Klimek Ottilie "Tillie" Klimek (born Otylia Gburek; 1876 – November 20, 1936) was a Polish American serial killer, active in Chicago. According to accounts, she pretended to have precognitive dreams, accurately predicting the dates of death of her ...

(1876–1936), American serial killer *Ottilie Kruger (1926–2005), American actress and daughter of the actor

Otto Kruger Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor. Originally a Broadway matinée idol, he established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Saboteur (film), Saboteur'' (1942) and Dougla ...

* Ottilie A. Liljencrantz (1876–1910), American writer *

Tilly Losch Ottilie Ethel Leopoldine, Countess of Carnarvon (''née'' Losch; November 15, 1903 – December 24, 1975), known professionally as Tilly Losch, was an Austrian dancer, choreographer, actress, and painter who lived and worked for most of her life ...

(1903–1975), Austrian dancer and choreographer * Ottilie Maclaren Wallace (1875–1947), Scottish sculptor *

Ottalie Mark Ottalie Mark (born Thilla Mark, October 3, 1896 - November 13, 1979) was an American musicologist, copyright consultant, composer, and music editor. Early life and education Ottalie Mark was born on October 3, 1896, the daughter of Hyman David ...

(1896–1979), American musicologist *

Ottilie Markholt Ottilie Markholt (February 25, 1916 – November 25, 2004) was an American trade unionist, labor historian, and political activist who spent most of her life in Tacoma, Washington. At different points in her life, Markholt was a member of the C ...

(1916–2004), American trade unionist, labor historian, and political activist * Ottilie Metzger (1878–1943), German contralto *

Ottilie Mulzet Ottilie Mulzet (born July, 1960 in Toronto) is a literary translator of Hungarian poetry and prose whose work has been recognized with several major literary awards. She is known in particular for her translations of several books by László Kra ...

(born 1960), Canadian translator of Hungarian poetry and prose * Ottilie Palm Jost (1878–1961), Canadian impressionist artist *

Ottilie Patterson Anna Ottilie Patterson (31 January 1932 – 20 June 2011) was a Northern Irish blues singer best known for her performances and recordings with the Chris Barber Jazz Band in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She has been called the godmother of B ...

(1932–2011), Northern Irish jazz singer * Ottilie Pohl (1867–1943), German Jewish socialist politician and activist *

Ottilie Reylaender Ottilie Reylaender (19 October 1882 – 29 March 1965) was a German painter. She was one of the pioneers of modern art in Germany. Life and work Ottilie Reylaender was born in Wesselburen in 1882, the daughter of a large family of civil serva ...

(1882–1965), German painter *

Ottilie Roederstein Ottilie Wilhelmine Roederstein (22 April 1859 – 26 November 1937) was a German-Swiss painter. She was the long-time companion of Elisabeth Winterhalter, one of the first female doctors in Germany. Life Roederstein was born in Zürich, Switz ...

(1859–1937), Swiss painter * Ottilie "Tilly" Spiegel (1906–1988), Austrian political activist * Ottilie Stibaner (1908–1972), German chess player * Ottilie Sutro (1872–1970), American pianist * Ottilie Tolansky (1912–1977), Austrian artist * Ottilie Turnbull Seybolt (1889–1978), American theater professor *

Ottilie Wildermuth Ottilie Wildermuth (; née Rooschüz; 22 February 1817 in Rottenburg am Neckar – 12 July 1877 in Tübingen) was a German writer, particularly notable for her children's books. Life Ottilie Rooschüz was the daughter of Gottlob Christian ...

(1817–1877), German writer

Women named Otelia

* Otelia Cromwell (1874-1972), American academic * Otelia Shields Howard (1900-1945), American academic * Otelia B. Mahone (1835-1911), American and Confederate Civil War nurse

Women named Otilia

Otilia Bădescu Otilia Bădescu, born 31 October 1970 in Bucharest, Romania, is a former Romanian table tennis player. Table tennis career From 1986 to 2005 she won several medals in singles, doubles, and team events in the Table Tennis European Championships ...

(born 1970), Romanian table tennis player * Otilia Brumă (born 1992), Romanian singer-songwriter *

Otilia Cazimir Otilia Cazimir (pen name of Alexandra Gavrilescu; February 12, 1894 – June 8, 1967) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, translator and publicist, nicknamed the "poetess of gentle souls", known as a children's poems author. Biography Origin ...

(1894–1967), Romanian poet * Otilia Larrañaga, Mexican dancer and actress *

Otilia Lux Otilia Lux de Cotí is a Guatemalan social leader and politician. Early life Otilia Lux de Cotí was born in Santa Cruz del Quiché, Guatemala on 21 January 1949. Career Lux was a member of Guatemala's Historical Clarification Commission, ch ...

, Guatemalan social leader * Otilia Mascarenhas, Indian-born field hockey player and orthopedic surgeon now living in Germany * Otilia Pasarica (born 1968), Romanian volleyball player *

Otilia Ruicu-Eșanu Otilia Silvia Ruicu-Eșanu (born 20 August 1978 in Lugoj) is a retired Romanian athlete who specialised in the 400 metres. She represented her country at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Ol ...

(born 1978), Romanian track and field athlete

Women named Otilija

* Otilija “Otti” Berger (1898-1944), Croatian Jewish textile artist and weaver murdered during the Holocaust

Women named Otta

Otta F Swire Otta Flora MacDonald Lois Swire (1898 – 1973) was a Scottish author. She published ''Skye: the Island and Its Legends'' in 1952, a collection of fireside stories she had heard from her mother and her grandmother at Orbost House, in the Isle of ...

(1898-1973), Scottish author *

Otta Wenskus Otta Wenskus (born 29 May 1955, in Marburg/Lahn) is a German classical philologist currently residing in Austria. Wenskus, daughter of historian Reinhard Wenskus, studied Classical philology and linguistics at the Universities of Göttingen, Fl ...

(born 1955), German classical philologist currently residing in Austria

Women named Ottie

* Ottie Beatrice Graham (1901-1944), American writer associated with the Harlem Renaissance cultural movement

Women named Ottilia

Ottilia Borbáth Ottilia Borbáth (born November 26, 1946, in Târgu Mureș, Romania) is an actress who has appeared in many films as well as appearing in TV mini serials such as the '' Nightmare Years'' and ''The Phantom of the Opera''. Biography He was born in ...

(born 1946), Romanian actress * Ottilia Carolina Kuhlman (1778–1866), Swedish actress * Ottilia Littmarck (1834–1929), Swedish actress and director

Women named Ottoline

Ottoline Leyser Dame Henrietta Miriam Ottoline Leyser (born 7 March 1965) is a British plant biologist and Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge who is on secondment as CEO of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). From 2013 to 2020 she wa ...

(born 1965), British plant biologist *

Lady Ottoline Morrell Lady Ottoline Violet Anne Morrell (née Cavendish-Bentinck; 16 June 1873 – 21 April 1938) was an English Aristocracy (class), aristocrat and society hostess. Her patronage was influential in artistic and intellectual circles, where she befri ...

(1873–1938), English society hostess

Women named Otylia

Otylia Jędrzejczak Otylia Jędrzejczak (; born 13 December 1983) is a Polish swimming (sport), swimmer. She was the Olympic champion from 2004 Summer Olympics, 2004 Athens in the 200 metre butterfly stroke, butterfly. She finished 4th in this event in the 2008 Su ...

(born 1983), Polish swimmer

Fictional characters named Ottilie

*Ottilie, a principal character in the novel ''

Elective Affinities ''Elective Affinities'' (German: ''Die Wahlverwandtschaften''), also translated under the title ''Kindred by Choice'', is the third novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published in 1809. Situated around the city of Weimar, the book relates the ...

'' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe *Ottilie Harshom, protagonist in John Wyndham‘s story "

Random Quest "Random Quest" is a science fiction novelette, which is also a love story, by British writer John Wyndham. It was included in his 1961 collection '' Consider Her Ways and Others''. It has been dramatised three times, twice under its original name ...

", published in 1961 and later made into the film '' Quest for Love'' *Ottilie, in "To Ottilie" by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

*Ottilie, in the short story "House of Flowers" by

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

, later adapted into a musical of the same name

Fictional characters named Ottoline

* Ottoline, the heroine of a series of children’s picture books by South African born British author

Chris Riddell Chris Riddell ( ) (born 13 April 1962) is a South African-born English illustrator and occasional writer of children's books and a political cartoonist for the ''Observer''. He has won three Kate Greenaway Medalsthe British librarians' annual ...

References

{{given name English feminine given names Feminine given names German feminine given names