Lotta
GirlScandinavian · Finnish: /ˈlot.tɑ/ — initial stress, a held t
Lotta offers the familiarity of a short form, Scandinavian context and a warm link to Astrid Lindgren’s stories.
Origin
Scandinavian
Pronunciation
Finnish: /ˈlot.tɑ/ — initial stress, a held t
A short form of Charlotta or Charlotte; the deeper Karl meaning is disputed.
Lotta is a Scandinavian short form of Charlotta or Charlotte, with deeper roots in Karl. The usual explanation of Karl is “man” or “husband”; another connects it with an old word for “army”. Lotta therefore has a clearer name-family history than a single settled literal meaning. Astrid Lindgren’s Lotta on Troublemaker Street gives the name a distinct literary association. Its rounded vowels and tidy central t sound can feel friendly and spirited, especially if the more formal Charlotte is not your style. Lotta is also used in Finnish. In the Finnish pronunciation /ˈlot.tɑ/, the emphasis comes first and the t is held: a useful detail if that is the form you want to keep.
Etymology: Scandinavian short form in the Charlotte family, ultimately linked to Germanic Karl. Proposed roots mean “man” or “army”.
Spelling table
Code
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Braille
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Name popularity
Latest year: 2025
Girls
RankNot reported
Source
SSA records cover Social Security card applications, not every US birth. Names with fewer than 5 occurrences are omitted; gaps do not mean zero. Spellings are kept separate, except that SSA removes spaces and hyphens. Equal counts are ranked alphabetically. Ranks are calculated separately for boys and girls.
Origin
Scandinavian
Origin
Germanic