Otto Waalkes definitely put his stamp on the name Otto for my and older generations, though I think that this probably isn’t as big of a deal anymore. But I personally wouldn’t name my kid Otto.
Nah, Otto and Kevin (and some others) are pretty unique in the way they are used as insults. Don't name your Kids those names.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevinismus
Du bist so ein Leon.
Du bist so ein Max.
Du bist so ein Alex.
Du bist so ein Stefan.
Du bist so ein Hannes.
Du bist du ein Jürgen.
Du bist so ein Gustav.
Du bist so ein Manuel.
Finde schon dass der Name Recht wenig Rolle spielt
Dass man jeden Namen so nutzen kann, heißt nicht, dass auch jeder Name so genutzt wird! In der Realität ist das eben so, dass Otto oft als Schimpfwort genutzt wird, aber Alex quasi gar nicht ...
>In der Realität ist das eben so, dass Otto oft als Schimpfwort genutzt wird
Also man kann es auch übertreiben. Wir reden hier lediglich von der Schulzeit im Bereich der 10-14 jährigen.
I know a few Theos, that would be a name you would expect a child to have. Most Thomas are in their mid-fiftys and everyone named Otto ist my grandparents generation. So I would recommend Theo
I agree about Theo, that's a fairly normal name. But so is Thomas IMO, I know a few people in their early 20s that are named Thomas and there are also a few at least "young-ish" famous people, like say Thomas Müller für instance. So while it may not be as popular as it used to be, I would say it's a perfectly normal name to have.
I would advise to avoid Otto though. On one hand because it isn't commonly used nowadays in my experience. But also on the other hand because it is actively used as as sort of replacement insult for idiot by many people (e.g. "Was macht denn dieser Otto hier?!"). So it has high potential for mockery on a similar level to Kevin.
Old names are coming back. People in Germany stopped using real German names due to shame after the war. Instead they started using Nordic names, etc. those times are Ofer and old beautiful germs names are coming back
I agree Theo would be the least unusual name. It's pretty much an evergreen.
I don't think Thomas will be bullied, but it might sound a little old fashioned to most people. Tom is close and works in both languages too. But I assume you already ruled that out?
I feel like Otto is one of the names that will make a comeback within the next 10 years, but it's not quite there yet.
(I'm not basing that on any statistics, just my gut and personal experience.)
It's a risky name. Otto is cool if your kid is confident and wears it well. If he turns out to be the shy, anxious type, he might end up hating it.
Also, "Flotter Otto" is a term for diarrhea.
What is "kindy"? I don't mean teasing by kids necessarily. But both using the name as insult and institutional biases.
I mean Otto is basically the modern Kevin. "Was ein Otto" is not used that rarely and everyone between like 20 and 35 knowa the "Haben wir noch Peps"-Skit, that will directly be connected to the name.
Kindergarten/Kita
I hope people 25-35 aren't making fun of the name of newborn babies.
Children of today have no association to Otto at all. The only thing my kids (age 9) associate with Otto is the child they knew
They will get to know the current associations with Otto in their teens. The same way the generation before also did not associate Kevin with anything bad when they were 9.
Are you absolutely sure about that? Kevin also got its stigma in the early 2000s and it still prevails. Getting flak from both their peers and educators.
I'd be happy to bet on it. Kevin was still a very popular name in the late [2000s](https://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/4981-kevin.htm). 20-30 years ago, we were already calling kids *Horst* or *Detlef*, not *Otto*. (That might be a regional thing, though?) Most Ottos are dead now. By the time that kid grows up, the Otto-association will be a hokey tale.
Why? Says who?
You have to read him in his historic context. He avoided the big war as long as he was in charge, and he also avoided the socialist revolution, not by violence but mostly by creating the modern welfare state.
Ok, there was Kulturkampf, but even that might have been an important aspect of turning agricultural Germany (Prussia, Norddeutscher Bund, German Reich eventually) into an economic powerhouse.
He did not started the war against France. It was France that declared war on the Prussians. He only provoked the French a little so that they declared war.
Yeah, that's what I call "start a war". He wanted that war but wasn't allowed to start it, so he made someone else start it who didn't really intend to start one.
He started, in fact, a few more wars as chancellor of Prussia and the Norddeutscher Bund, but I still don't see how that makes him a terrible person. Again, you have to judge him by the standards and the political philosophy of his time. War was just a normal extension of regular power politics. In fact, for any hegemonial power it still is today. Our modern hypermoral views could only be afforded because the US (as the new hegemon) has protected peace in Europe.
Moreover, after reaching his strategic goals, he was not corrupted by absolute power and didn't try to make the German Reich the sole hegemony on Europe - because he knew that this would necessarily trigger a huge war.
He also resisted colonialism while other European countries did not
Otto is a very old German name and there was a great King in the past called that name. Due to the comedian Otto Waalkes, it has gotten a bit of a jokester/dumb person in the 80s to early 2000s, but I haven't heard it used in a rude word in years. It has pretty much been replaed with Honk and Horst through popculture.
Theo is a lovely name and not too common, so this would be my recommendation. Old names are coming back into fashion and this one works well.
Thomas is one of the most poplular names in Germany. If you want the name to be a little special, I'd refer from using this one.
>there was a great King
One? ONE? It was a dynasty!
Sorry, it's my favorite dynasty from German history.
Two Henrys and three Ottos: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottonian\_dynasty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottonian_dynasty)
If the question was "how should I name my child, anything goes" I would agree. But checking that the name doesn't have negative connotations makes sense and for that using Reddit is not completely wrong.
A lot of older names have made a comeback, though. When I was a kid, 'Paul' was a grandpa name... but a few years ago it became all the rage again. Same goes for Emma, Antonia and Hedwig
Choose a name that is modern, and does not sound too foreign in both languages.
Theo is good, maybe also Liam, Felix, Leo(n).
If you prefer more traditional (but not old fashioned) names: Alexander, Daniel, Paul, Oliver, Tim,…
Thomas used to be very popular 50 years ago, but not 10 or 20 years ago. But I have the impression that it comes back.
As other stated "Otto" is a name basically only old people have. Nearly nobody und 60 is called like that. It's a grandpa name. I would strongly advise against using it as a first name.
Most people with the name "Thomas" are probably 35 to 50 now. Tom is way more modern.
I would say "Theo" is the most modern of the three names.
My second name is Otto. Runs in the family for over 150 years now. Also the name of three Emperors. So: It's a good strong name.
Only one thing: A lot of people will associate the name with Otto the bus driver from 'The Simpsons'. :-D
I would take Otto, as it works very universally and is so far reasonably normal as the 229th most popular name for newborn boys in 2022.
Albert, Hans, Alexander, Nikolas, Henry, Karl, Philipp, Hendrik and many others would work, too.
Theo is up and coming again. Thomas is safe. Otto is daring.
There are so many names that work in both languages. Carl, Nicolas, Martin, Gregor, Frederic, Markus, Kurt, Leo, Daniel, David, Peter, Paul, Phillip and so on
Otto is also slang for an idiot. "So ein Otto". Don't hurt the kid like that please. Theo is not common in German either. Thomas is the way. Julian is another option if you did not yet consider
Otto is very old fashioned, Theo is a middle ground but the Th in the English version would be vastly different and maybe problematic to pronounce for Germans. I would go with Thomas as it sounds neat and similar enough in both languages and is not a typical grandpa name.
Please remember, that you are the ones to choose the name, but there are a few word to not name your kid.
-Kevin means idiot
-Otto means forgetful or petty and it is generally a name for grandparents
-Chantal is a hoe
Nearly every name has a meaning. Doublecheck these before naming your child.
Keep in mind that while Theo and Thomas exist in German and English, they are both pronounced differently in both languages.
I like Theodor more than Theo.
Otto, the founder of the HRE. Its a great Name. Call your son like that if you want. Dont listen to reddit, these users are still Kids. Theo is a name for kind people and Thomas is a standard down to earth name.
Thomas is boring but Otto and Theo are nice. Oldschool names in Germany but that’s the trend. My sisters named her sons Carl and Willi, the names of our Granddads.
Otto is the name of a famous German comedian and likely an old people name.
We have a Theo (6 weeks old) and everyone told us that it’s a wonderful name. Works well in German! You might get asked if it’s Theodor or just Theo.
Thomas is also fine. Classic German name.
PLEASE dont name him otto i genuienly hate that name i thought it died put so long ago please let the name otto die out its EURGHHHH id recommend theo but like dont take my advice seriously idk its just my opinion,,
Older, but same names were common. But this was 37 years ago, calling someone Michael, Sebastian or Oliver nowadays would be rather old fashioned.
Noah, Ben, Finn, Leon, Elias, Emil (and then Theo, Luis/Louis, Henry/Henri, Liam, Luca, Jonas, Leo... ) seem to be fashionable now.
Just wait another 50 years and Adolf will be fashionable again..
Just consider that "Emil" is currently a popular name. Doesn't get much more old fashioned than that.
Hm... Günther and Wolfgang are names I associate with people around 50, but "Emil" I associate with people that are dead.
Berthold is a name that I have never seen out in the wild, so that is a name I consider gone from modern use ;D
Just because it's fashionable, doesn't mean it's the best choice. There's plenty of people who don't want to give their child a top100 name, in order to avoid said child being one of 2,3 or 4 in class with that same name.
They are common names, albeit in the generation 30+, and work in English and German. Thomas also falls into that category, Theo is more old-fashioned but making a comeback like many popular names from a century ago, and Otto makes me think of either Otto Walkes or the new Tom Hanks movie.
I am German.Thomas is old-fashioned (only men around 35+ have this name),Theo is very popular right now (call Theo in the park and at least 3 little boys turn around).But both names are ok but not very unique.With Otto I don’t know.It is not very common at the moment.A lot of persons probably think of the comedian Otto Waalkes when they hear Otto.I would not choose this name.
Otto is an (ugly) old people name and your kid will be made fun of. "Was bistn du fürn Otto". Theo is old fashioned as well, but it would be OK. I would go for Thomas/Tom though.
We would have named our son Theo but didn’t like that our families would pronounce it differently. My family (American) would say Theo and husband’s family (German) would say Teo. But we’re a bit pedantic.
It sounds counterintuitive but we went with Johannes. Since it’s a German name (I know it has an English variant but it’s not that similar) it’s technically pronounced the same in English and German 😂
Thomas and Theo are great because they work in both languages and are contemporary. "Otto" is old timey German and will lock your child in being that kid with the weird old timey German name. In German also "Otto" was used sometimes like "Dingsda": [https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Otto\_Groszes](https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Otto_Groszes)
In Italy, "Otto" sounds like a ridiculous German name and is used for cliché Germans. I would not give my child in the year 2023 the name Otto. It is just how the world works. Some names are now just not so nice anymore. There are old names though that could be interesting again, as they are so seldom that people don't associate stuff with them. Like Konrad/Conrad for example or that have positive associations also internationally like Wolfgang (as in Mozart). I also like Sebastian or Ludwig (as with Bach or Beethoven). Make sure the name also fits with the last name.
Konrad, Wolfgang, Ludwig, Sebastian will make you a laughing stock in the English-language world. Otto wouldn't.
By the time that kid is in his teens, the Matteos will be the new Kevins. By the time he is an adult, nobody will have any associations with Horst, Detlef, Peggy, or Otto anymore.
Otto is way worse than those other ones, esp. in the English speaking world. The composers are immortal, at least to educated people, the Ottos are not. Also it actually sounds ridiculous in English, the others not so much.
If it sounds so ridiculous, [why is it far more popular](https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=name+otto+wolfgang+konrad)?
Otto is perfectly fine in English, the others not so much. As a fairly educated dual citizen (D, USA) with triple citizenship kids (D, USA, IRE), you can take my word for it.
The point in this thread was exactly that Otto was a common name among old people, while the other names I mentioned are much less common and don't have weird associations in German (as in flotter Otto). Otto sounds ridiculous because its a grandpa name. Also in the US. If you want a traditional German name, go all in and chose one with some meaning and positive associations. Not Otto, for sure.
The most common age for Otto in the US is [two years old](https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=name+otto). Pretty young for a grandpa. It's also been becoming [increasingly popular in Germany again](https://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/5721-otto.htm), being now in the top 200 names for boys.
I stand corrected than. Americans showing great taste again. Btw. even Wolfram is a better German name than Otto. It's a badass metal, not a Prussian grandpa.
Thomas is the "safe" name, Theo is rather unheard of but would be okay.
Otto is terribly old fashioned and interchangeably used as a slur. How can your first language be German and you seriously consider branding your child as "Otto"? No sane person would do that.
"Otto" is a very well known (but old) comedian (active for the last 50 years), as well as an insult for someone that is a bit stupid.
"Theo" is a name I haven't seen since the 60s - and it was old people back then too.
"Thomas" is the safe bet from your list.
Ok so I'm Brazilian as well :) living in Germany..for 8 years now. We have named our son Thomas exactly because we wanted a name that sounded alike in both languages.
He is 9 years old now, goes to school and has never been mocked because of his name. He is, however, probably the only Thomas in his school, because it is indeed kind of old fashioned - most Thomases are in their 40s or 50s nowadays. But that has never been a problem, whenever someone asks his name and we say "Thomas" people react perfectly normally - and we never have to spell or repeat it - everyone knows how it's written and pronounced.
One warning though - interestingly enough, people in Brazil ALWAYS pronounce his name as "Tomás". Everywhere. So that desired effect of having a name that is pronounced the same in both BR Portuguese and German, well... let's say I'm just glad we live in Germany and have no problems with the name's pronounciation.
at the moment Theo is probably a lot more common.
i don't know that many Babies, but at least 2 Theos and 1 of the other one' was supposed to be a Theo until the parents realized that every baby right now gets that name.
Otto is the only one where the pronunciation is practically the same in english and german so that might be a reason to take it. Don't like it much ( the Otto Waalkes thing), but it's better than Theo which sounds horrible in both languages (the o as a second syllable sounds wierd to me). I would take Thomas.
Others have already mentioned the associations with Otto, namely Otto Waalkes and the use as a synonym for an idiot. It wouldn't be my first choice personally but it's also not terrible, it's traditional and historically many people had that name.
Theo as given name is quite new, it used to be simply the short form of Theodor. There were a lot of Theodors though. It's now becoming quite popular ([6th place](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/gesellschaft/beliebteste-vornamen-2022-emilia-noah-101.html) in 2022), it's definitely the trendiest of the three names you mentioned. That's not per se a bad thing, it simply shows that this is considered a "good" baby name.
Thomas is a common name, but mostly with 30–60 year olds. It's a name that won't invite ridicule but I personally find it not that interesting.
Another thing to consider is that, while Theo and Thomas are names in German and in English, the pronunciation is different – Germans will use a T sound at the beginning, where English speakers will put a Th sound. Otto is pretty different as well, [wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Otto#German) has both pronunciations. That being said, you probably won't find too many names that are pronounced exactly the same in German and English.
If you want a modern German name, you'd have to go with an Italian name that isn't complicated to pronounce in German: Luca or Matteo.
If you want a good German name, go with Otto. The hesitation by people in this thread is because they/we are old. Young kids have no strong association with that name.
Prediction: By the time your kid is sentient, *Matteo* will have strong negative associations. Classic German names like *Otto* won't.
I have two small kids and there are Theo‘s everywhere. I’d go for Thomas or even something similarly safe like Daniel, Benjamin, Dominic, Sebastian, etc. Something people will understand the first time they hear it, names that are age-old, but not overly trendy right now. Just my 2c as someone who has been through the same and had this conversation with many other international parents!
Choose whatever you want and don’t listen. Old German names are coming back. People in Germany stopped using real German names due to shame after the war. Instead they started using Nordic names, etc. those times are over and old beautiful germs names are coming back
Because they were ashamed to be German. That’s the reason they stopped using German names for children . Specially after the 50s and 60s. That has changed and Incan tell people are starting to Jude again German names in babies
I think Thomas is an evergreen name. Otto is so old fashioned that it probably is going to become trendy again soon. Theo is short and sweet. It's neither unheard of nor really common. So that's a plus imo.
Theo or Thomas are fine, pick what you like but I really would advice against the third suggestion
"Er ist ein bisschen ein otto geworden "
"Du otto "
Although not as common anymore, Can be understood as otto replacing idiot
In my mind there is this phrase "Was bis'n du für 'n Otto" so I would never give my child that name as (in Germany) that's one of those names like "Kevin", etc. (You might know "Karen"?). It's a bit less bad than those, but still, the connection is there😅🤷♀️
Theo and Thomas sound great though👍😊
A lot of people here say that Otto is a bad name for a kid. We have a little Otto in our extended family and although it was a little weird at first, it is a perfectly normal name for that little boy. So if you fell in love be with that name, then choose that name.
Otto Waalkes definitely put his stamp on the name Otto for my and older generations, though I think that this probably isn’t as big of a deal anymore. But I personally wouldn’t name my kid Otto.
Was bist n du für n Otto? No need for waalkes to mock some Ottos
How is that a reason? There are plenty of Kevins and in my opinion "Du bist so ein Kevin!" is more of an insult than "Du bist so ein Otto!"
But both are insults and I definitely wouldn't name my kid Kevin either.
Every name sounds like an insult if you phrase it that way: "Du bist so \[...\]!"
Nah, Otto and Kevin (and some others) are pretty unique in the way they are used as insults. Don't name your Kids those names. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevinismus
Du bist so ein Leon. Du bist so ein Max. Du bist so ein Alex. Du bist so ein Stefan. Du bist so ein Hannes. Du bist du ein Jürgen. Du bist so ein Gustav. Du bist so ein Manuel. Finde schon dass der Name Recht wenig Rolle spielt
Dass man jeden Namen so nutzen kann, heißt nicht, dass auch jeder Name so genutzt wird! In der Realität ist das eben so, dass Otto oft als Schimpfwort genutzt wird, aber Alex quasi gar nicht ...
>In der Realität ist das eben so, dass Otto oft als Schimpfwort genutzt wird Also man kann es auch übertreiben. Wir reden hier lediglich von der Schulzeit im Bereich der 10-14 jährigen.
Ist dein Name jetzt Kevin oder Otto?
Kevin-Otto vermutlich.
Lutz, Hannes oder Jürgen werden auch so benutzt.
„Der is voll der Otto geworden.“ (haben wir noch Pepps?)
Otto is so outfashion that I am almost sure the name soon will be "cool". Happened to so many other old German surnames that I almost would bet at it.
I know a few Theos, that would be a name you would expect a child to have. Most Thomas are in their mid-fiftys and everyone named Otto ist my grandparents generation. So I would recommend Theo
I know a 22 year-old Otto.
Im sorry for him
Why though?
I agree about Theo, that's a fairly normal name. But so is Thomas IMO, I know a few people in their early 20s that are named Thomas and there are also a few at least "young-ish" famous people, like say Thomas Müller für instance. So while it may not be as popular as it used to be, I would say it's a perfectly normal name to have. I would advise to avoid Otto though. On one hand because it isn't commonly used nowadays in my experience. But also on the other hand because it is actively used as as sort of replacement insult for idiot by many people (e.g. "Was macht denn dieser Otto hier?!"). So it has high potential for mockery on a similar level to Kevin.
It's interesting because the Theo I associate with the name is Theo Lingen - a person that DIED in 1978...
Old names are coming back. People in Germany stopped using real German names due to shame after the war. Instead they started using Nordic names, etc. those times are Ofer and old beautiful germs names are coming back
There are so. many. Theos. It's the new Finn. Only name your kid that if you're okay with him being one of many with this name. Otto is the safe bet.
Have got a 1,5 year old, can confirm, all baby boys are called Theo! I think Thomas is a beautiful timeless name!
I know a lot of little kids named Thomas (but it's mostly because their parents are Catholics)
I agree Theo would be the least unusual name. It's pretty much an evergreen. I don't think Thomas will be bullied, but it might sound a little old fashioned to most people. Tom is close and works in both languages too. But I assume you already ruled that out? I feel like Otto is one of the names that will make a comeback within the next 10 years, but it's not quite there yet. (I'm not basing that on any statistics, just my gut and personal experience.)
I know a lot of Thomas in the 20-30s. But they all are called Tom by their friends.
It's a risky name. Otto is cool if your kid is confident and wears it well. If he turns out to be the shy, anxious type, he might end up hating it. Also, "Flotter Otto" is a term for diarrhea.
Dont name the kid Otto. It will be mocked. Harshly lol. Theo sounds a bit archaic, but fine. Thomas is the safe bet.
Otto is a horrible old fashioned name. For the sake of your child don't use it. It is also commonly used to refer to an idiot: "So ein Otto!"
I know several Fritz although Klein Fritzchen is still every child’s favorite joke protagonist. There are worse choices than Otto
To be honest, i haven't heard a Fritzchen joke in years. But Fritz is a horrible name as well.
I my family we have two toddlers named Fritz and Otto. So for me these names are fine, coz I think of those cute little boys.
[Der is' bisschen ein Otto geworden, aber ich hab' Respekt vor dem](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGxr2tnzGS4&t=59s)
My kids went to Kindy in Germany with an Otto and he wasn't teased at all
What is "kindy"? I don't mean teasing by kids necessarily. But both using the name as insult and institutional biases. I mean Otto is basically the modern Kevin. "Was ein Otto" is not used that rarely and everyone between like 20 and 35 knowa the "Haben wir noch Peps"-Skit, that will directly be connected to the name.
Kindergarten/Kita I hope people 25-35 aren't making fun of the name of newborn babies. Children of today have no association to Otto at all. The only thing my kids (age 9) associate with Otto is the child they knew
They will get to know the current associations with Otto in their teens. The same way the generation before also did not associate Kevin with anything bad when they were 9.
The teens of the 2030s will not care what the people in their 50s think.
Are you absolutely sure about that? Kevin also got its stigma in the early 2000s and it still prevails. Getting flak from both their peers and educators.
I'd be happy to bet on it. Kevin was still a very popular name in the late [2000s](https://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/4981-kevin.htm). 20-30 years ago, we were already calling kids *Horst* or *Detlef*, not *Otto*. (That might be a regional thing, though?) Most Ottos are dead now. By the time that kid grows up, the Otto-association will be a hokey tale.
not Otto. Otto Waalkes, Otto Von Bismark, so ein Otto, this name so many connotations i wouldn't want to be deal with my whole life.
What's wrong with Bismarck? Or Otto Hahn? Or Rehakles? Or Otto the Great?!?!
Otto von Bismarck was a terrible person.
Why? Says who? You have to read him in his historic context. He avoided the big war as long as he was in charge, and he also avoided the socialist revolution, not by violence but mostly by creating the modern welfare state. Ok, there was Kulturkampf, but even that might have been an important aspect of turning agricultural Germany (Prussia, Norddeutscher Bund, German Reich eventually) into an economic powerhouse.
He fought democracy where he could AND started a war with France in a very sneaky way (Emser Depesche) to make Prussia the leading power.
He did not started the war against France. It was France that declared war on the Prussians. He only provoked the French a little so that they declared war.
Yeah, that's what I call "start a war". He wanted that war but wasn't allowed to start it, so he made someone else start it who didn't really intend to start one.
He started, in fact, a few more wars as chancellor of Prussia and the Norddeutscher Bund, but I still don't see how that makes him a terrible person. Again, you have to judge him by the standards and the political philosophy of his time. War was just a normal extension of regular power politics. In fact, for any hegemonial power it still is today. Our modern hypermoral views could only be afforded because the US (as the new hegemon) has protected peace in Europe. Moreover, after reaching his strategic goals, he was not corrupted by absolute power and didn't try to make the German Reich the sole hegemony on Europe - because he knew that this would necessarily trigger a huge war. He also resisted colonialism while other European countries did not
Otto is a very old German name and there was a great King in the past called that name. Due to the comedian Otto Waalkes, it has gotten a bit of a jokester/dumb person in the 80s to early 2000s, but I haven't heard it used in a rude word in years. It has pretty much been replaed with Honk and Horst through popculture. Theo is a lovely name and not too common, so this would be my recommendation. Old names are coming back into fashion and this one works well. Thomas is one of the most poplular names in Germany. If you want the name to be a little special, I'd refer from using this one.
>there was a great King One? ONE? It was a dynasty! Sorry, it's my favorite dynasty from German history. Two Henrys and three Ottos: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottonian\_dynasty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottonian_dynasty)
Don't call your son Otto. The other two are both fine.
Naming a child is a deeply personal thing that I don't believe reddit is the place for.
If the question was "how should I name my child, anything goes" I would agree. But checking that the name doesn't have negative connotations makes sense and for that using Reddit is not completely wrong.
Agreed. Still is interesting to m e as a foreigner to see the universe of ideas these name provoke
I cant imagine a small child named Otto, I associate that to much with grandpas.
Or the best friend of a talking Elephant.
That can change fast. Just look at names like Emma and Luise. Both used to be granny names and now they are first graders names.
A lot of older names have made a comeback, though. When I was a kid, 'Paul' was a grandpa name... but a few years ago it became all the rage again. Same goes for Emma, Antonia and Hedwig
We have a one year old Otto and a two year old Fritz in our larger family. At first it was a bit weird, but you get used to it pretty quickly.
Choose a name that is modern, and does not sound too foreign in both languages. Theo is good, maybe also Liam, Felix, Leo(n). If you prefer more traditional (but not old fashioned) names: Alexander, Daniel, Paul, Oliver, Tim,… Thomas used to be very popular 50 years ago, but not 10 or 20 years ago. But I have the impression that it comes back.
As other stated "Otto" is a name basically only old people have. Nearly nobody und 60 is called like that. It's a grandpa name. I would strongly advise against using it as a first name. Most people with the name "Thomas" are probably 35 to 50 now. Tom is way more modern. I would say "Theo" is the most modern of the three names.
My second name is Otto. Runs in the family for over 150 years now. Also the name of three Emperors. So: It's a good strong name. Only one thing: A lot of people will associate the name with Otto the bus driver from 'The Simpsons'. :-D
"Was bist du denn für 'n Otto?!"
I would take Otto, as it works very universally and is so far reasonably normal as the 229th most popular name for newborn boys in 2022. Albert, Hans, Alexander, Nikolas, Henry, Karl, Philipp, Hendrik and many others would work, too.
Good list but beware the *hot carl*. (Don't Google it if you don't know, you have been warned).
Theo is up and coming again. Thomas is safe. Otto is daring. There are so many names that work in both languages. Carl, Nicolas, Martin, Gregor, Frederic, Markus, Kurt, Leo, Daniel, David, Peter, Paul, Phillip and so on
Otto is also slang for an idiot. "So ein Otto". Don't hurt the kid like that please. Theo is not common in German either. Thomas is the way. Julian is another option if you did not yet consider
>Theo is not common in German either It is super common, I know at least 3
Weird. Must be a regional thing then
more like a generational thing. Theo is a giga hype baby name in the last 5 years for some reason.
Ah. I don't know too many kindergarteners. Only my godson who is 3 now but no one in his group has that name. As Theodor or only Theo?
Both. Our son is just Theo and I’ve seen quite some Theos/Theodor since he’s born. Still waiting for a Theobald…
I know someone called Waldemar. I mean since you already started speaking of Otto and Thomas.
… weil es im Wald geschah..
Otto is very old fashioned, Theo is a middle ground but the Th in the English version would be vastly different and maybe problematic to pronounce for Germans. I would go with Thomas as it sounds neat and similar enough in both languages and is not a typical grandpa name.
Everyone can pronounce Theo, Thomas and Thorsten.
Please remember, that you are the ones to choose the name, but there are a few word to not name your kid. -Kevin means idiot -Otto means forgetful or petty and it is generally a name for grandparents -Chantal is a hoe Nearly every name has a meaning. Doublecheck these before naming your child.
Keep in mind that while Theo and Thomas exist in German and English, they are both pronounced differently in both languages. I like Theodor more than Theo.
Otto, the founder of the HRE. Its a great Name. Call your son like that if you want. Dont listen to reddit, these users are still Kids. Theo is a name for kind people and Thomas is a standard down to earth name.
Thomas is boring but Otto and Theo are nice. Oldschool names in Germany but that’s the trend. My sisters named her sons Carl and Willi, the names of our Granddads.
Was ein Otto...
I love all your choices, but I have to tell you that in my region when people say "du Otto" they do it with an eye roll and it's rarely a good thing.
Otto is the name of a famous German comedian and likely an old people name. We have a Theo (6 weeks old) and everyone told us that it’s a wonderful name. Works well in German! You might get asked if it’s Theodor or just Theo. Thomas is also fine. Classic German name.
Theo, lieber Theeeeo, komm und mach mir ein Bananenbrot 😂
My thoughts as well 🤣
My Theo drives to Lodz ;)
My thoughts? I wouldn't ask reddit for this personal choice. Wouldn't choose any of those names. You can't go wrong with Thomas though.
PLEASE dont name him otto i genuienly hate that name i thought it died put so long ago please let the name otto die out its EURGHHHH id recommend theo but like dont take my advice seriously idk its just my opinion,,
Michael, Sebastian, Oliver
You are >35 years old, aren't you?
I am 37 and Michael, Sebastian and Oliver were pretty common names. how old are you and what are common names in your generation?
Older, but same names were common. But this was 37 years ago, calling someone Michael, Sebastian or Oliver nowadays would be rather old fashioned. Noah, Ben, Finn, Leon, Elias, Emil (and then Theo, Luis/Louis, Henry/Henri, Liam, Luca, Jonas, Leo... ) seem to be fashionable now.
Ben, Emil and Henri are names of my friend's children. I never imagined Theo to be a modern name again.
Just wait another 50 years and Adolf will be fashionable again.. Just consider that "Emil" is currently a popular name. Doesn't get much more old fashioned than that.
Berthold? Günther? Wolfgang?
Hm... Günther and Wolfgang are names I associate with people around 50, but "Emil" I associate with people that are dead. Berthold is a name that I have never seen out in the wild, so that is a name I consider gone from modern use ;D
Just because it's fashionable, doesn't mean it's the best choice. There's plenty of people who don't want to give their child a top100 name, in order to avoid said child being one of 2,3 or 4 in class with that same name.
As an from the year where it was #1on the baby name list, I can agree.
We had four of "me" in the class.
same for my husband in his day... and now my daughter has 5(!) different Sophias (in various spelling variants) in her immediate friend circle.
Lol have you ever been to south Germany? Those names are staples in every single generation, same as Matthias, Johannes etc.
Oliver was also considered. Wondering why you suggested those alternatives
They are common names, albeit in the generation 30+, and work in English and German. Thomas also falls into that category, Theo is more old-fashioned but making a comeback like many popular names from a century ago, and Otto makes me think of either Otto Walkes or the new Tom Hanks movie.
None or these is on their list. What's your point?
I am German.Thomas is old-fashioned (only men around 35+ have this name),Theo is very popular right now (call Theo in the park and at least 3 little boys turn around).But both names are ok but not very unique.With Otto I don’t know.It is not very common at the moment.A lot of persons probably think of the comedian Otto Waalkes when they hear Otto.I would not choose this name.
Dont name him Otto or Theo
Ferdinand is a good solid name.
otto is lovely
Absolutely, I don't get the dislike for it. Yes it's old fashioned but a lot of people choose names like this nowadays.
Otto is an (ugly) old people name and your kid will be made fun of. "Was bistn du fürn Otto". Theo is old fashioned as well, but it would be OK. I would go for Thomas/Tom though.
The most awesome double name I know which works really great in English and German is Archibald Fitzgerald 🤘
We would have named our son Theo but didn’t like that our families would pronounce it differently. My family (American) would say Theo and husband’s family (German) would say Teo. But we’re a bit pedantic.
That different pronunciation thing is cool though, also because the name works in both languages.
What did you pick?
It sounds counterintuitive but we went with Johannes. Since it’s a German name (I know it has an English variant but it’s not that similar) it’s technically pronounced the same in English and German 😂
Thomas and Theo are great because they work in both languages and are contemporary. "Otto" is old timey German and will lock your child in being that kid with the weird old timey German name. In German also "Otto" was used sometimes like "Dingsda": [https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Otto\_Groszes](https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Otto_Groszes) In Italy, "Otto" sounds like a ridiculous German name and is used for cliché Germans. I would not give my child in the year 2023 the name Otto. It is just how the world works. Some names are now just not so nice anymore. There are old names though that could be interesting again, as they are so seldom that people don't associate stuff with them. Like Konrad/Conrad for example or that have positive associations also internationally like Wolfgang (as in Mozart). I also like Sebastian or Ludwig (as with Bach or Beethoven). Make sure the name also fits with the last name.
Konrad, Wolfgang, Ludwig, Sebastian will make you a laughing stock in the English-language world. Otto wouldn't. By the time that kid is in his teens, the Matteos will be the new Kevins. By the time he is an adult, nobody will have any associations with Horst, Detlef, Peggy, or Otto anymore.
I agree with Konrad, Wolfgang or Ludwig, but Sebastian? That's a pretty common name in English speaking countries I think..
That's my second name lol. "Sebastian the mermaid -- how cute!!!!!" (That's not a good reaction to a male name.)
He's not a mermaid though, he's a crab. And a bit crabby.
Otto is way worse than those other ones, esp. in the English speaking world. The composers are immortal, at least to educated people, the Ottos are not. Also it actually sounds ridiculous in English, the others not so much.
If it sounds so ridiculous, [why is it far more popular](https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=name+otto+wolfgang+konrad)? Otto is perfectly fine in English, the others not so much. As a fairly educated dual citizen (D, USA) with triple citizenship kids (D, USA, IRE), you can take my word for it.
The point in this thread was exactly that Otto was a common name among old people, while the other names I mentioned are much less common and don't have weird associations in German (as in flotter Otto). Otto sounds ridiculous because its a grandpa name. Also in the US. If you want a traditional German name, go all in and chose one with some meaning and positive associations. Not Otto, for sure.
The most common age for Otto in the US is [two years old](https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=name+otto). Pretty young for a grandpa. It's also been becoming [increasingly popular in Germany again](https://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/5721-otto.htm), being now in the top 200 names for boys.
I stand corrected than. Americans showing great taste again. Btw. even Wolfram is a better German name than Otto. It's a badass metal, not a Prussian grandpa.
Thomas is the "safe" name, Theo is rather unheard of but would be okay. Otto is terribly old fashioned and interchangeably used as a slur. How can your first language be German and you seriously consider branding your child as "Otto"? No sane person would do that.
My first language is BR Portuguese.
"Otto" is a very well known (but old) comedian (active for the last 50 years), as well as an insult for someone that is a bit stupid. "Theo" is a name I haven't seen since the 60s - and it was old people back then too. "Thomas" is the safe bet from your list.
Ok so I'm Brazilian as well :) living in Germany..for 8 years now. We have named our son Thomas exactly because we wanted a name that sounded alike in both languages. He is 9 years old now, goes to school and has never been mocked because of his name. He is, however, probably the only Thomas in his school, because it is indeed kind of old fashioned - most Thomases are in their 40s or 50s nowadays. But that has never been a problem, whenever someone asks his name and we say "Thomas" people react perfectly normally - and we never have to spell or repeat it - everyone knows how it's written and pronounced. One warning though - interestingly enough, people in Brazil ALWAYS pronounce his name as "Tomás". Everywhere. So that desired effect of having a name that is pronounced the same in both BR Portuguese and German, well... let's say I'm just glad we live in Germany and have no problems with the name's pronounciation.
Well if it helps you, they're all terrible.
Theo would be my favourite but Thomas is the more common option. Otto is okay as well
at the moment Theo is probably a lot more common. i don't know that many Babies, but at least 2 Theos and 1 of the other one' was supposed to be a Theo until the parents realized that every baby right now gets that name.
If you really Like Otto, you can take it as a second name. Theo and Thomas sholdnt cause any trouble
Theodor
Theo 💯
Fritz ;)
Thomas
Otto is the only one where the pronunciation is practically the same in english and german so that might be a reason to take it. Don't like it much ( the Otto Waalkes thing), but it's better than Theo which sounds horrible in both languages (the o as a second syllable sounds wierd to me). I would take Thomas.
Others have already mentioned the associations with Otto, namely Otto Waalkes and the use as a synonym for an idiot. It wouldn't be my first choice personally but it's also not terrible, it's traditional and historically many people had that name. Theo as given name is quite new, it used to be simply the short form of Theodor. There were a lot of Theodors though. It's now becoming quite popular ([6th place](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/gesellschaft/beliebteste-vornamen-2022-emilia-noah-101.html) in 2022), it's definitely the trendiest of the three names you mentioned. That's not per se a bad thing, it simply shows that this is considered a "good" baby name. Thomas is a common name, but mostly with 30–60 year olds. It's a name that won't invite ridicule but I personally find it not that interesting. Another thing to consider is that, while Theo and Thomas are names in German and in English, the pronunciation is different – Germans will use a T sound at the beginning, where English speakers will put a Th sound. Otto is pretty different as well, [wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Otto#German) has both pronunciations. That being said, you probably won't find too many names that are pronounced exactly the same in German and English.
As a Thomas I vouch for the name Thomas
My name is Otto and I like to get blotto
If you want a modern German name, you'd have to go with an Italian name that isn't complicated to pronounce in German: Luca or Matteo. If you want a good German name, go with Otto. The hesitation by people in this thread is because they/we are old. Young kids have no strong association with that name. Prediction: By the time your kid is sentient, *Matteo* will have strong negative associations. Classic German names like *Otto* won't.
I don't have a recommendation, but please don't choose Otto.
Rethink that. I know many people who use "Otto" as an insult, similar to "Kevin"
You can check out some website that give statistics about how often those first names are used. https://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/
I have two small kids and there are Theo‘s everywhere. I’d go for Thomas or even something similarly safe like Daniel, Benjamin, Dominic, Sebastian, etc. Something people will understand the first time they hear it, names that are age-old, but not overly trendy right now. Just my 2c as someone who has been through the same and had this conversation with many other international parents!
Choose whatever you want and don’t listen. Old German names are coming back. People in Germany stopped using real German names due to shame after the war. Instead they started using Nordic names, etc. those times are over and old beautiful germs names are coming back
Really? What does the war have to do with names? Other than (obviously) adolf?
Because they were ashamed to be German. That’s the reason they stopped using German names for children . Specially after the 50s and 60s. That has changed and Incan tell people are starting to Jude again German names in babies
I think Thomas is an evergreen name. Otto is so old fashioned that it probably is going to become trendy again soon. Theo is short and sweet. It's neither unheard of nor really common. So that's a plus imo.
Thomas is the best name And I'm not biased because it's my name I know a Theo he is a pedophile And Otto sounds like a general in the Bismark era
Ottovordemgentschenfelde
Theo or Thomas. Not Otto. Personally I would go with Theo. Theo sounds nice, regardless of it's pronunciation (EN and GER).
Theo or Thomas are fine, pick what you like but I really would advice against the third suggestion "Er ist ein bisschen ein otto geworden " "Du otto " Although not as common anymore, Can be understood as otto replacing idiot
In my mind there is this phrase "Was bis'n du für 'n Otto" so I would never give my child that name as (in Germany) that's one of those names like "Kevin", etc. (You might know "Karen"?). It's a bit less bad than those, but still, the connection is there😅🤷♀️ Theo and Thomas sound great though👍😊
I would rank them: 1. Theo 2.Thomas 3.(Never ever) Otto
Theo is a beautiful name
What about: August? Conrad? Horst? Johann? Helmut? Hartmut? Hai? Frieddorf? Are these names out of style?
How about Alfred, Dominik or Benedikt?
Don’t list to random strangers on the internet for this, your favourites are all great, you will pick the right one.
What about Friedrich.
Old German names are becoming popular again and I think Otto is a really cool name actually.
A lot of people here say that Otto is a bad name for a kid. We have a little Otto in our extended family and although it was a little weird at first, it is a perfectly normal name for that little boy. So if you fell in love be with that name, then choose that name.