Otis is a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

of English origin and may have been a variant spelling of the English name Oates. *

Amos Otis Amos Joseph Otis (born April 26, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from to , most prominently as an integral member of the Kansas City Royals team that won t ...

, a professional baseball player * Bill Otis, professional baseball player *

Elisha Otis Elisha Graves Otis (August 3, 1811 – April 8, 1861) was an American industrialist, founder of the Otis Elevator Company, and inventor of a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Early years Otis was b ...

, inventor of a safety device for hoisting machinery, who went on to invent the first passenger elevator *

Eliza Ann Otis Eliza Ann Otis (pseudonym, Susan Sunshine; August 16, 1833 – November 12, 1904), Wetherby, was an American poet, journalist, and philanthropist. She was the co-founder, publisher, and associate editor of the ''Los Angeles Times''. Early years ...

(1833–1904), poet, journalist, philanthropist *

Elwell Otis Elwell Stephen Otis (March 25, 1838 – October 21, 1909) was a United States Army general who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, the Philippines late in the Spanish–American War and during the Philippine–American War. Biography ...

, an American general who served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars *

Glenn K. Otis General Glenn Kay Otis (March 15, 1929 – February 21, 2013) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commanding General, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from 1981 to 1983, and as Commander in Chief, United Stat ...

U.S. Army general (retd.) *

Harrison Gray Otis (publisher) Harrison Gray Otis (February 10, 1837 – July 30, 1917) was the president and general manager of the Times-Mirror Company, publisher of the ''Los Angeles Times''. Biography Early life Otis was born near Marietta, Ohio, on February 10, 1837, th ...

(1837–1917), a publisher of the ''Los Angeles Times'' *

Harrison Gray Otis (lawyer) Harrison Gray Otis (October 8, 1765October 28, 1848), was a businessman, lawyer, and politician, becoming one of the most important leaders of the United States' first political party, the Federalists. He was a member of the Otis family. One ...

(1765–1848), a representative and senator from Massachusetts *James Otis: ** James Otis, Sr. (1702–1778), American revolutionary politician ** James Otis, Jr. (1725–1783), American revolutionary politician **James Otis, pen name of James Otis Kaler (1848–1912), American journalist and author of children's literature **

James Otis (mayor) James Otis (August 11, 1826 – October 30, 1875) was an American politician. He was active in San Francisco, where he served as mayor from 1873 to 1875. Biography James Otis was born in Boston, Massachusetts to the Otis family, which is ...

(1826–1875), mayor of San Francisco, California ** James Otis (actor), American film and television actor *

Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was an American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, and talent scout. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He ...

, American rhythm and blues musician and impresario *Leon Otis, research scientist and skeptic of

Parapsychology research at SRI Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International) in Menlo Park, California carried out research on various phenomena characterized by the term parapsychology from 1972 until 1991. Early studies indicating that phenomena such as remote viewing an ...

Samuel Allyne Otis Samuel Allyne Otis (November 24, 1740 – April 22, 1814) was the first Secretary of the United States Senate, serving for its first 25 years. He also served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and was a delegate to the Confederation C ...

, American politician *

Shuggie Otis Johnny Shuggie Otis (born Johnny Alexander Veliotes, Jr.; November 30, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist. Otis's composition "Strawberry Letter 23" (as recorded by The Brothers Johnson) topped ...

, American songwriter, recording artist and multi-instrumentalist * Todd Otis, American politician *

William Otis William Smith Otis (September 20, 1813 – November 13, 1839) was an American inventor of the steam shovel. Otis received a patent for his creation on February 24, 1839. In 1839 William Smith Otis, civil engineer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ...

, inventor of the steam shovel *

Mercy Otis Warren Mercy Otis Warren (September 14, eptember 25, New Style1728 – October 19, 1814) was an American activist poet, playwright, and pamphleteer during the American Revolution. During the years before the Revolution, she had published poems and pla ...

. American writer

See also