Holding steady.
Popularity of Othella since 1889
Babies named Othella per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1921, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Othella's real moment was 1889.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 7 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 16 |
| 1910s | 137 |
| 1920s | 227 |
| 1930s | 149 |
| 1940s | 93 |
| 1950s | 58 |
| 1960s | 16 |
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Othella is a rare female name with literary origins, derived from Shakespeare's Othello. Its first recorded use in U.S. Social Security data dates to 1889, which also marks its peak year of usage. Since then, the name has been consistently uncommon, with no recorded births in many years. The trajectory remains stable at near-zero frequency. Othella has no associated top states, reflecting its extreme rarity. As a feminine counterpart to a tragic literary figure, it offers a distinctive choice for parents drawn to Shakespearean names, though its obscurity means it rarely appears on modern naming charts.
Othella appears to be a feminine derivation of Othello, the name of Shakespeare's Moorish general from the play 'Othello' (c. 1603). Shakespeare likely adapted the name from an Italian source, possibly from 'Otho' or a variant of 'Otto'. As a given name for girls, Othella saw modest use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the United States.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Othie, Ella
Sibling names for Othella
Names that share Othella's style, for a brother or sister.
