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

Otañez, 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 Otañez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otañez in America

Otañez is the 43369th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otañez surname appeared 498 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 Otañez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otañez 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 Otañez

The surname Otanez has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "otana," meaning "rocky hill" or "outcrop." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a person or family residing near a rocky outcrop or hillside.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Otanez can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Navarre, Spain. It is found in various medieval documents and records from this area, including the Becerro Antiguo de Leyre, a cartulary from the monastery of Leyre.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Juan Otanez, a nobleman and landowner from the village of Otano in Navarre, who lived in the late 13th century. Records indicate that he was involved in various legal disputes over land ownership and taxation.

In the 14th century, the name Otanez appeared in several Basque charters and documents, often associated with individuals from prominent families in the region. One notable example is Lope Otanez de Aguirre, a military leader and diplomat who served under King Charles II of Navarre in the late 1300s.

During the 15th century, the name Otanez spread beyond the Basque region and can be found in records from other parts of Spain, including Castile and Aragon. One notable figure from this period was Pedro Otanez de Ávila, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Otanez family settled in the Canary Islands, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. One of the most notable figures from this lineage was Juan Otanez de Aguilar, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Otanez has been associated with various noble families, landowners, and military figures in Spain and its territories. While not as widespread as some other Spanish surnames, it has maintained a strong presence in the Basque region and parts of northern Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otañez

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

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 Otañez 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 Otañez 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 Otañez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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