Meaning and history
Othniel is a biblical masculine name from Hebrew Otniel. It is traditionally interpreted as “lion of God” or “strength of God,” though the first element’s precise meaning is debated. In the Book of Judges, Othniel is Caleb’s kinsman and the first judge to deliver Israel from an oppressor. A notable modern bearer was American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, a leading participant in the nineteenth-century scientific rivalry known as the Bone Wars.
20062006: 8 births, rank #8,732
2007: 14 births, rank #5,901
2008: 15 births, rank #5,767
2009: 11 births, rank #7,236
2010: 11 births, rank #7,087
20112011: 12 births, rank #6,578
2012: 19 births, rank #4,862
2013: 24 births, rank #4,064
2014: 37 births, rank #3,038
2015: 31 births, rank #3,513
20162016: 27 births, rank #3,883
2017: 44 births, rank #2,755
2018: 64 births, rank #2,167
2019: 56 births, rank #2,394
2020: 38 births, rank #3,025
20212021: 42 births, rank #2,918
2022: 33 births, rank #3,464
2023: 36 births, rank #3,293
2024: 30 births, rank #3,693
20252025: 47 births, rank #2,718
In 2025, 47 babies were recorded with the name Othniel, ranking #2,718 among boys.