Ottis is a unique and distinctive given name of American origin. It is believed to have been created by author William Faulkner for one of his characters in his novel "Absalom, Absalom!" published in 1936. In the story, Ottis is the illegitimate son of Thomas Sutpen, the protagonist of the novel.
The meaning and significance behind the name Ottis are unclear as it was not derived from any existing names or words. Faulkner may have created the name for literary purposes, perhaps to emphasize the unconventional background and identity of his character. However, some people associate the name Ottis with the Greek word "otos," which means "ear," due to its phonetic similarity.
Despite its obscure origin, Ottis has gained some popularity as a given name in the United States. According to data from the Social Security Administration, the peak of its usage was between 1920 and 1929, with only a handful of births registered with the name each year since then. Today, it remains a rare and uncommon name.
In summary, Ottis is a unique given name of American origin, created by author William Faulkner for one of his characters. Its meaning and significance are unclear, but some people associate it with the Greek word "otos." While it has gained some popularity in the past, it remains a rare name today.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Ottis has had a varied history of popularity over time in the United States, with several periods of increased usage followed by declines.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were fluctuations in the number of births registered with the name Ottis. Between 1880 and 1923, the annual births ranged from a low of 5 to a high of 46, with an average of around 30 births per year during this period.
The popularity of the name peaked in the early 1910s, reaching its highest point in 1912 with 46 births. This was followed by several years of relative stability, with annual birth numbers ranging between 80 and 130 from 1913 to 1922.
However, beginning around the mid-1920s, there was a notable decrease in the popularity of the name Ottis. From 1924 to 1951, the annual births ranged from a low of 6 to a high of 51, with an average of approximately 23 births per year during this period.
The trend continued into the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, with annual birth numbers decreasing further. Between 1952 and 1974, there were fewer than 35 births registered each year with the name Ottis, except for a brief spike in 1971 when there were 32 births.
From the late 1970s to the present day, the name Ottis has seen even less usage. Between 1975 and 2023, there have been fewer than 20 births registered each year with this name, with the exception of a few recent years: 2016 (10 births), 2018 (10 births), 2021 (11 births), and 2022 (14 births). This suggests that while the name Ottis is no longer widely used, it still appears occasionally in modern times.
In summary, over the past century and a half in the United States, the name Ottis has experienced periods of relative popularity followed by declines. Its peak usage occurred around the early 1910s, but since then, its popularity has steadily decreased. Although rare today, the name Ottis continues to appear occasionally among newborns.