The baby name Othello is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /oʊˈθɛloʊ/ (oh-THEL-oh).
Othello is Italian in Origin.
The baby name Othello is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /oʊˈθɛloʊ/ (oh-THEL-oh).
Othello is Italian in Origin.
Othello is widely understood as an Italianate form related to Otto/Otho and Italian Ottone, names rooted in the Old High German element aud/od meaning “wealth, fortune, prosperity.” Shakespeare’s choice of the -th- spelling set the English form apart from standard Italian Otello; additional international variants include Portuguese/Spanish Otelo, Latinized Otho, and the Italian Ottone. Rare English elaborations such as Othella also appear.
The name gained prominence through Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello (first performed c. 1604), which fixed it in the literary imagination as the noble yet tragic “Moor of Venice.” Verdi’s opera Otello (1887) further cemented its cultural status in Italian and international opera. Despite this visibility, Othello remains uncommon as a given name in English-speaking countries, where it is closely tied to the character; the variant Otelo has seen occasional use in Lusophone and Hispanic contexts. Core meaning: “wealth, prosperity,” with a dignified, dramatic aura from its enduring stage associations.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CY | Boys | 0 | #131 | 1 | 3,473 |
| Sweden | Boys | 2022 | #181 | 2 | 1,509 |
| LU | Boys | 0 | #220 | 1 | 4,970 |
| JP | Boys | 0 | #303 | 1 | 7,909 |
| Canada | Boys | 2021 | #311 | 5 | 2,600 |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #329 | 3 | 9,639 |
| KZ | Girls | 0 | #332 | 1 | 5,862 |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #360 | 2 | 8,138 |
| MU | Boys | 0 | #369 | 1 | 8,477 |
| JO | Boys | 0 | #388 | 2 | 7,057 |
| France | Boys | 2008 | #399 | 4 | 2,747 |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #407 | 2 | 11,440 |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #466 | 1 | 10,523 |
| ZA | 0 | #470 | 5 | 14,421 | |
| AR | Boys | 0 | #483 | 1 | 7,628 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #510 | 1 | 10,188 |
| LY | 0 | #559 | 1 | 12,703 | |
| CM | Boys | 0 | #575 | 1 | 12,054 |
| BD | Boys | 0 | #602 | 4 | 10,045 |
| SY | 0 | #766 | 2 | 11,684 | |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #826 | 1 | 15,093 |
| TN | 0 | #865 | 1 | 13,765 | |
| United States | Boys | 2024 | #877 | 16 | 7,044 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #925 | 1 | 15,035 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #1,001 | 1 | 16,906 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,031 | 3 | 16,355 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #1,039 | 1 | 16,750 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,169 | 10 | 25,619 |
| MA | 0 | #1,196 | 4 | 20,986 | |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,236 | 1 | 25,928 |
| IT | Boys | 0 | #1,461 | 11 | 10,046 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,684 | 8 | 28,008 |
Othello is popular in 29 countries — most recent births per country:
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