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Original poster

Othilia – could it work in UK?

29 replies

cs111 · 26/09/2015 10:43

Hi.
I read about the name Ottilie, and learned that in Scandinavia and possibly France, Ottilia (variation of Ottilie) is in use spelled as Otilia or Othilia. Does anyone know if these spellings have been in use in the UK? Some pages said the similar Othelia has been in use.

How would you pronounce Othilia/what do you think would be most correct? Like Ophelia and Odelia, but with a t or a th-sound? Could it be usable as a name in the UK today? (Not going to use the name, just curious. It looked like a bit of Ottilie with sounds like Emilia/Amelia, I liked it in theory.)

• Too difficult for others to guess pronunciation/spelling? Hard to have as name because this has to be explained?

• Depending of how it is pronounced it could be confused with Ophelia, maybe hard to hear a difference at all. I guess Amelia/Emelia/Emilia are like that, but is that a problem? Ophelia has strong associations to the character, is that a problem? (I know Ophelia is indeed in use and chosen by many parents.)

• There are some words (not nice to be associated with) that ends in –ophilia. Is Othilia too close?

• Would it seem like creative spelling of Ottilie, or is it a problem that the spelling isn't British?

• Anything else, words/products/rhymes/known people etc. it is too close to? We are maybe more away from otter and Attila (sometimes mentioned for Ottilia) with this spelling?

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mathanxiety · 02/10/2015 04:03

I think it looks a little like a disease or condition with the -ia ending. Like haemophilia I suppose.

Minimaus · 30/09/2015 13:41

I like it a lot but would spell it Ottilia!

BondGate · 28/09/2015 23:33

Just one point about the ONS name statistics - they don't list names given to only 1 or 2 children in a year to protect their confidentiality. So the name Othilia could have been given to 2 girls a year for the last however many years and not appear in the ONS stats.

Having said that, I don't believe it's quite common in the UK, even considering foreign born Othilia's. I'd never even heard of this name before this thread. Although admittedly I don't live in London, so for all I know, ever other girl there could be called Othilia.

Original poster
cs111 · 28/09/2015 17:08

I'm not in London, but I have heard that Ottilie is somewhat popular there. Not sure how much difference it would be in pronunciation between Ottilie and the variants with a-ending? Have never heard of Otelia (in any spelling). Heard of Othilia once, she was a French model. But interesting if the names actually are in some use, and that you know people with the similar names (Otelia, Ottilia). Charis: Do you have a title for the book/books where the name is used?

I tend to think less otter with the Othilia spelling. That's not meant negatively, I think the names are interesting. Its more a case of when you're not familiar with a name and don't have many associations to it. I like the sound and look of Ophelia, and Othilia seemed similar to that, without having the Shakespeare associations. It looked a bit like Emilia etc. too. (Repeated to clarify: Not going to use the name, only curious about it.)

Thanks for writing your responses, cool that anyone replied at all!

OP posts:
WillSomebodyThinkOfStefan · 26/09/2015 21:38

Of course you have Charis - would that have been in a comprehensive or public school?

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 21:34

Like I said, I have taught three in the past two years, and there are others in the schools I work in, apart from the name cropping up in current fiction....

WillSomebodyThinkOfStefan · 26/09/2015 21:30

Looking at London alone:

37% of the population were born outside the UK, including 24.5% born outside of Europe.

Which means that 12.5% were from other European countries. So approximately 6.25% are female and from a country where the use of the name Othilia is a possibility - I think it would be fair to say that they won't all be called Othilia and that therefore even in London the name won't be bread and butter common.

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 21:29

Op asked if this name "works" in the uk - my answer, yes it does, it isn't even particularly unusual,

MissBattleaxe · 26/09/2015 21:28

It's like a whole new world. You know so much about this name!

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 21:27

it is also quite a common name in recent best sellers, there are at least two books with characters of this name in it in the WHS top sellers shelves right now.

MissBattleaxe · 26/09/2015 21:27

Charis- she is not being silly. It's perfectly valid evidence that its not really common in the UK. You may know some but that doesn't make it common.

MissBattleaxe · 26/09/2015 21:25

I've never heard this name at all. I like Ottillie and I like Opheila though.

WillSomebodyThinkOfStefan · 26/09/2015 21:20

Enough to be sure that nationally Othilia is not a common name. There is more to the UK than London - a fact you consistanty fail to recognise Charis.

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 21:11

you are being very silly. The Op has asked whether this name is in use in the UK. yes it is. You are wittering on about births. Exactly what percentage of london school children do you think were born in the UK?

WillSomebodyThinkOfStefan · 26/09/2015 20:58

For gods sake Charis stop it - the ONS monitors births and the name given to the every child registered.

Othilia - no children registered in the last 10 years

Ottilie - ranked 535th in 2014

Can you ever admit to being wrong?

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 20:24

what does monitoring births have to do with it?

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 26/09/2015 20:01

I think it sounds like a 'trendy' misspelling of Ophelia. I don't like it. I'd go for Ophelia or Ottilie instead.

WillSomebodyThinkOfStefan · 26/09/2015 19:58

It's not my office Charis - it's the national body that monitors all births - check it out for yourself.

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 19:47

well, there are plenty in London! Ottelia, Othelias, etc. Obviously your ONS doesn't count us.

WillSomebodyThinkOfStefan · 26/09/2015 19:41

The Office of National Statistics will show you that there have been no Othilia's registered in the UK in the last 10 years.

Ottilie is doesn't fall in the top 500.

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 19:38

well, I had one last year, two the year before that, and there are several others around. Completely normal, standard, bread and butter name, nothing unusual or outlandish. What is ONS?

WillSomebodyThinkOfStefan · 26/09/2015 19:34

No it isn't Charis - A quick search of ONS will show you that it is far from common.

Lovely name OP - I would go with Ottilia though.

Charis2 · 26/09/2015 17:06

Its quite common in the UK

MamaLazarou · 26/09/2015 17:05

I went to school with an Ottilia. Romanian, I think.

ClashCityRocker · 26/09/2015 10:51

I like it better with just t's though, I think with a th or a ph sound it's a bit close to 'i'll feel ya'

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