How Many People Are Named Otha?
An estimated 2,714 people in the United States have the first name Otha. It is used for both genders, with 82.0% male. The average bearer is 68 years old, and Otha peaked in popularity in 1921 with 180 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Otha as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Otha paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 68, Otha is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1968.
Estimated Living Americans
2,714
About 1 in 126,291 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
82.0% confidence
Average Age
68
years old
Peak Year
1921
180 births
Total Registered
7,789
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Otha
Otha is predominantly male (82.0%), though 1,403 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Otha as a male name
Ranked #10,452 in 2018
7 male births in 2018
Peak: 1920 (140 births)
Otha as a female name
Ranked #5,867 in 1971
9 female births in 1971
Peak: 1922 (45 births)
Otha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,232 people with the first name Otha, which placed it at #6,983 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Otha was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 2,232 people with this name in that snapshot, 85.9% were male and 14.1% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 82.0% of the time.
Census Count
2,232
people with this name
Census Rank
#6,983
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.74
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Otha was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (69.53%). The next largest recorded groups were White (26.62%) and Two or More Races (2.68%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Otha in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Otha.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 69.53% | 1,554 |
| White | 26.62% | 595 |
| Two or More Races | 2.68% | 60 |
| Hispanic | 0.72% | 16 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.40% | 9 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.04% | 1 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Otha: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Otha span from the 1880s to the 2010s, covering 14 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 1,553 babies were registered. Otha has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Otha by Decade
How has Otha tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Otha by State
Birth registrations for Otha span all 20 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Mississippi, Texas, North Carolina. The lowest are in Ohio, Florida, South Carolina. On average, about 209 Othas were registered per state.
Otha + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Otha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Otha
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
Otha: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Otha?
We estimate approximately 2,714 people named Otha are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 126,291 Americans share this first name.
Is Otha a common name?
Otha is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 94.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 7,789 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Otha most popular?
Otha reached peak popularity in 1921, when 180 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Otha is approximately 68 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Otha in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 2,232 people with the first name Otha. That placed it at #6,983 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.74 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Otha was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Otha?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Otha was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 85.9% male and 14.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Otha?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Otha was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (69.53%). The next largest recorded groups were White (26.62%) and Two or More Races (2.68%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Otha a male name?
Otha is predominantly male. 82.0% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Otha have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Otha peaked in 1921, and the average living bearer is about 68 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Otha Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Otha Smith, Otha Johnson, Otha Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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