Find out how popular the last name Oatis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Oatis.

Oatis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Oatis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oatis in America

Oatis is the 25486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oatis surname appeared 970 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Oatis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oatis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Oatis

The surname "OATIS" is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "ote," which referred to a type of plant or grain, specifically oats. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked with or grew oats.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, particularly in counties such as Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. It's possible that the name was initially a descriptive nickname or a reference to someone who lived near a field or area where oats were grown.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Oatis, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1327. Another notable individual was William Oatis, a landowner from Nottinghamshire, whose name appears in the Court Rolls of Mansfield in 1392.

In the 16th century, the surname experienced variations in spelling, including Oates, Oatts, and Oatey, reflecting the evolving nature of English surname spellings during that period.

Throughout history, the name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Richard Oatis (1548-1622), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, England. Another was Thomas Oatis (1674-1735), a scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of Barnwell, Northamptonshire.

In the literary world, John Oatis (1785-1863) was a poet and playwright from Yorkshire, known for his works such as "The Village Muse" and "The Rustic Wreath." Additionally, the name is associated with Sir Henry Oatis (1819-1895), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of British Guiana from 1873 to 1879.

While the surname "OATIS" may have originated as an occupational name related to the cultivation of oats, it has since evolved and been associated with various historical figures and regions across England over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oatis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Oatis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Oatis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Oatis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Oatis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Oatis, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!