Otis is an English surname that goes back to the medieval given name Ode or Odo, from the Germanic aud, meaning "wealth" or "fortune". The soul singer Otis Redding gave the name its lasting cool, and it has returned alongside other vintage picks like Otto, Arlo and Felix. In the United States Otis re-entered the top 1000 in 2015 at number 845, peaked at 615 in 2022 and ranks 652 in 2025.