Otto

How to say it

/ˈɑː.toʊ/

What it means

Germanic, from a root (auda) meaning 'wealth' or 'fortune.' A short, sturdy name with imperial history.

Otto comes from the Germanic element auda, 'wealth' or 'fortune,' and was the name of Holy Roman Emperors starting with Otto the Great in the 10th century. The tidy palindrome fell out of American use mid-20th century and is now back with the short-and-vintage crowd alongside Hugo and Theo. History stacks up behind it, from Otto von Bismarck to Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father. It rarely needs a nickname.

Heads-up notes

• Spelling

  A palindrome, which is part of its tidy, retro appeal.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Otto the Great 10th-century Holy Roman Emperor
• Otto Frank Anne Frank's father and the publisher of her diary

Spelling variants

• Otho
• Othello

Names with the same feeling

• Arthur Bear, possibly 'bear-king'
• August Venerable, majestic
• Felix Lucky, fortunate
• Theodore Gift of God
• Oscar Spear of the gods, or 'deer-lover'

See Otto from another angle