How Many People Are Named Othel?
An estimated 146 people in the United States have the first name Othel. It is used for both genders, with 82.6% male. The average bearer is 80 years old, and Othel peaked in popularity in 1921 with 45 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Othel as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Othel paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 80, Othel is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1956.
Estimated Living Americans
146
About 1 in 2,347,632 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
82.6% confidence
Average Age
80
years old
Peak Year
1921
45 births
Total Registered
886
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Othel
Othel is predominantly male (82.6%), though 154 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Othel as a male name
Ranked #3,590 in 1968
7 male births in 1968
Peak: 1921 (39 births)
Othel as a female name
Ranked #4,871 in 1940
5 female births in 1940
Peak: 1916 (18 births)
Othel: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Othel span from the 1900s to the 1960s, covering 7 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 298 babies were registered. Othel has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Othel by Decade
How has Othel 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.
Othel by State
Birth registrations for Othel span all 6 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri. The lowest are in Kentucky, Alabama, Texas. On average, about 25 Othels were registered per state.
Othel + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Othel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Othel
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
Othel: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Othel?
We estimate approximately 146 people named Othel 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 2,347,632 Americans share this first name.
Is Othel a common name?
Othel is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 69.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 886 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Othel most popular?
Othel reached peak popularity in 1921, when 45 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Othel is approximately 80 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Othel a male name?
Othel is predominantly male. 82.6% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Othel Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Othel Smith, Othel Johnson, Othel 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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