Name of the Week: Ottilie

 

 

Origin:

Ottilie is the modern German form of Odilia, itself the feminine form of Odo (Otto) which derives from either the Old German uod "wealth, riches, prosperity" or uodal "homeland, heritage, homestead". In Germany, the name is pronounced o-TEE-lee-ə but in Britain has long been used in the anglicised pronunciation OT-i-lee. The homophone surname Ottely is a variant of Otley derived from places of the same name in West Yorkshire and Suffolk meaning "Otta's clearing." Otta itself was a short form of the Anglo-Saxon Othere (cognate with the Old Norse Ottar) composed of otti "fear, dread, danger" and herr "army."

Usage:

The masculine form Odo was a common name in Medieval Europe, borne by several kings and nobles, and was brought over to Britain by the Normans, giving us surnames like Oddie and Oates.  Odilia was born by two notable early medieval saints, both patronesses of good eyesight. Saint Odilia of Cologne was one of the maiden companions of St Ursula, and Saint Odilia of Alsace (c. 662 - c. 720) was the blind daughter of the Duke of Alsace whose sight was miraculously recovered during her baptism. The latter in particular was popularly venerated in France, Germany and Switzerland with many places dedicated to her.  Ottilie was a fairly common name in Germany from the early medieval period, through the Protestant Reformation, into the modern era. In Britain, however, the name never took off, despite masculine form Otto getting some moderate use by the 19th century.  Immigration into Britain from lowland countries, starting with Flemish weavers in the reign of Edward III, to the influx of miners, tapestry makers and glass makers in the 16th and 17th centuries are the major reason for Ottilie getting any use in Britain at this time.  By 1881, Ottilie was still rare in Britain, as data from that year's census shows, with fewer than forty instances. The masculine form Otto was in far more prevalent use, and it is interesting to note that the areas where Ottilie was most common correspond to places where Otto was most popular: in Yorkshire, Lancashire and London. This perhaps shows that Ottilie was used in places high in German-immigrant communities, though it is curious to note that these are also areas where surnames Otley, Ottley and Otteley where most prevalent.  Births for Ottilie in England and Wales: 1840s: 0 births 1850s: 1 birth 1860s: 1 birth 1870s: 5 births 1880s: 8 births 1890s: 11 births 1900s: 15 births 1910s: 2 births 1920s: 0 births 1930s: 2 births 1940s: 1 birth 1950s: 1 birth 1960s: 2 births 1970s: 5 births 1980s: 25 births Most Ottilies born in England and Wales up until 1910 have German surnames, but after this point it seems to have been adopted more as an anglicised name, particularly among the upper classes, and increasingly over the last few years. The variant Ottoline was marginally more common in Britain in the 19th century among the aristocracy and bolstered by the fame of Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873-1938), a society hostess and patron of the arts.  From 1996 to 2007, Ottilie consistently ranked below the top 100 with between 10 and 25 births each year. Since 2010 however, the name has been gradually increasing, moving into the top 1000 and finally reaching the top 500 in 2015.  Demonstrating its disproportionately higher use among the well-heeled, Ottilie generally ranks within the top 50 names in either The Times or The Telegraph newspaper announcements each year. The Times: #18 in 2011, #33 in 2012 and #23 in 2013. The Telegraph: #44 in 2010, #23 in 2011, #11 in 2014, and #13 in 2015.  In 2015, Ottilie ranked #411 (109 births) in England and Wales and #653 (4 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Odilia of Cologne (c. 4th century), a saint of the Roman Catholic Church; patroness of good eyesight. * Saint Odilia of Alsace (c. 662 - c. 720), a saint of the Roman Catholic Church; patroness of good eyesight. * Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen (ca. 1451–1517), Margravine of Baden-Baden. * Ottilie Wildermuth (1817-1877), a German writer, particularly notable for her children's books. * Ottilie Assing (1819– 1884) , a German feminist, freethinker, and abolitionist. * Ottilie Roederstein (1859-1937), a German-Swiss painter. * Ottilie Bistram (1859–1931, a Latvian writer and teacher. She was also a pioneer in the struggle for female access to education. * Ottilie Metzger-Lattermann (1878–1943), a German contralto. * Ottilie Herbert, Countess of Carnarvon aka "Tilly Losch" (1903–1975) an Austrian-born dancer, choreographer, actress and painter * Ottilie "Tilly" Fleischer (1911-2005), a German Olympic athlete. Contemporary: * Ottilie Patterson (1932–2011), a Northern Irish blues singer Literature and Other Media: * "To Ottilie,"a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. * Ottilie Harshom, the female protagonist in John Wyndham's science fiction romance "Random Quest" later made into a film "Quest for Love".

Variants:

Ottilia, Odilia, Odile, Otelia, Otylia, Odila, Ottolie, Ettilie

Pronunciation:

OT-i-lee (English) o-TEE-lee-ə (German) [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Tilly, Ottie, Ollie, Lottie, Tolly

Sibling Names:

Henrietta     Clementine     Emmeline    Genevieve     Vivienne     Beatrix  Maximilian     Benedict     Magnus     Lucian     Atticus     Barnaby

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance    Vintage Names

  

If you like Ottilie you may also like:   Sylvie, Philippa, Aurelia, Evangeline, Margot, Juliet, Hermione, Cecily, Verity, Elodie

 

 Thanks to Kate for requesting this name.