Ottilie

Ottilie is a German form in the Odilia name family. Its older Germanic elements have been interpreted through wealth or inheritance, with “heritage” another proposed connection. The name’s history is therefore linked with possessions or what is handed down through a family.

Literature gives Ottilie several distinctive associations. It is the name of a central character in Goethe’s Elective Affinities, and Robert Louis Stevenson addressed a poem To Ottilie. Journalist and abolitionist Ottilie Assing provides a historical namesake beyond fiction. Tillie or Lottie can serve as shorter forms, while Ottilia is a related Swedish form. Parents considering Ottilie can connect its older European background with a particularly rich record in writing and cultural life.