2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Otamendi
Derived from a Spanish/Basque place name referring to a valley or glen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Otamendi. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otamendi surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Otamendi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otamendi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Otamendi
The surname Otamendi is of Spanish origin, specifically tracing its roots to the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. It is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century.
The name Otamendi is derived from a combination of the Basque words "ota" meaning "foothill" or "low hill" and "mendi" meaning "mountain." This suggests that the name likely referred to a person or family residing in a mountainous area near foothills or lower elevations.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Otamendi surname can be found in the archives of the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the Basque Country, dating back to the late 15th century. It is documented that an individual named Juan de Otamendi was a prominent landowner and merchant in the region during that time.
In the 16th century, the Otamendi name appears in records related to the Spanish conquest and colonization of the Americas. Pedro de Otamendi, born around 1510, was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the expeditions of Hernán Cortés in Mexico and later became one of the first settlers in the region of modern-day Guatemala.
During the Golden Age of Spanish literature in the 17th century, there was a notable poet and playwright named Gonzalo de Otamendi, who was born in Seville around 1620. His works, though not widely known today, were celebrated in his time and contributed to the rich cultural heritage of Spain.
In the realm of science, the name Otamendi is associated with José Otamendi, a renowned Argentine physician and medical researcher who lived from 1892 to 1958. He made significant contributions to the field of neurology and was recognized for his pioneering work in the study of brain tumors and surgical techniques.
More recently, Nicolás Otamendi, born in 1988, is a professional football player from Argentina who plays as a defender for the Portuguese club Benfica and the Argentine national team. He has represented his country in multiple World Cup tournaments and is considered one of the top defenders in modern football.
Throughout its history, the Otamendi surname has been present in various regions of Spain, as well as in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, reflecting the far-reaching influence of the Spanish colonial empire. While its exact origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the name carries the essence of the rugged Basque landscape and the resilience of those who called it home.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otamendi
Among Census respondents with the surname Otamendi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Otamendi bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Otamendi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.6% · 108
- White4.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otamendi
Otamendi appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 9,894 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Otamendi surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #147,221 | -7.2% |
| Count | 122 | 113 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otamendi bearers went from 122 to 113 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 9,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,221.
FAQ
Otamendi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otamendi?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Otamendi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Otamendi?
Otamendi ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Otamendi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Otamendi.
Has Otamendi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otamendi went from 122 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Otamendi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otamendi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Otamendi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otamendi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.6%), White (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Otamendi (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Otamendi mean?
Derived from a Spanish/Basque place name referring to a valley or glen. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Otamendi (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Otamendi?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Otamendi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.