Othniel

Othniel (עָתְנִיאֵל) is a biblical masculine first name, whose meanings include 'God is my strength', 'the strength of God', or 'the lion of God'.

What does the name Othniel mean?

The name Othniel (עָתְנִיאֵל) has biblical roots and means something like 'God is my strength', 'the strength of God', or 'the lion of God'. It originates from Ancient Hebrew. However, the exact origin of the word is not fully clarified, even in relation to other Semitic languages. It may derive from 'atan (עתן), which means 'exalted' or 'to be wild like a lion', combined with the theophoric element 'el (אל), which stands for 'God'. In the Bible, in the Book of Judges, an 'Otniel' is mentioned, who served as a warrior and the first judge of the young people of Israel shortly after Moses and Joshua. There is a street in Jerusalem named after him. An alternative spelling of the name is Otniel.

Where does the name Othniel come from?

The name Othniel has its roots in Ancient Hebrew and means 'God is my strength'. It is composed of the Ancient Hebrew elements 'atan (עתן), meaning 'exalted' or 'to be wild like a lion', and 'el (אל), which means 'God'. Its linguistic origin is biblical.

How do you pronounce Othniel?

Othniel is pronounced approximately as 'Oth-ni-el'.

Popularity

Othniel is a rather rare first name in Germany. In 2023, it ranked 5,488th on the list of the most common male baby names. Its best ranking was achieved in 2019, reaching 2,154th place. In the past ten years, Othniel has been given as a first name about 50 times, placing it 3,276th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 3,841st.

Nicknames & pet names

Othi