Otello

Otello is a masculine Italian name best known as the Italian form of Shakespeare's character Othello. The name gained prominence through Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'Otello,' based on Shakespeare's tragedy. While Shakespeare's character has Moorish origins, the name itself doesn't have clear etymological roots beyond its literary creation. In Italian-speaking regions, Otello has been used as a given name since the popularity of Verdi's opera in the late 19th century. The name carries dramatic and artistic associations, evoking themes of passion, jealousy, and tragic nobility from both Shakespeare's play and Verdi's operatic adaptation. Though never extremely common, Otello appeals to parents with literary or operatic interests and those seeking a distinctively Italian name with cultural depth and artistic resonance.

Pronounced oh-TEL-oh.

As of October 2026, Otello ranked #3848 in US births in 1929 SSA.