Meaning: Its source is Autha, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Wealth."

Nickname For: Othello

Narrative: Some authorities believe this name began as a diminuitive of the Germanic name Otto. Others think it was derived by Shakespeare from the name of a family of Venetian aristocrats, presumably of Moorish or African heritage, known as Otelli di Moro.

The story (by an Italian, Giraldi Cinthio) on which Shakespeare's 1604 tragedy Othello was based uses only one personal name, that of the wronged wife, Desdemona. It describes her husband simply as un Capitano Moro (''a Moorish captain''). The earliest English references to the name Othello correspond to the date of the play's production.

Did Shakespeare create the name? Perhaps some hard-working scholar will someday find the answer.