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

Otani, 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 Otani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otani in America

Otani is the 30799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otani surname appeared 756 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 Otani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otani 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 Otani

The surname Otani has its origins in Japan, dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "o" meaning "big" and "tani" meaning "valley," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in or near a large valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Otani name appears in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle from the 8th century, which mentions an individual named Otani no Watamaro, a high-ranking government official during the Nara period.

The Otani name has also been associated with several prominent figures throughout Japanese history. In the 12th century, there was Otani no Yoshitsune, a famous samurai warrior who played a pivotal role in the Gempei War between the Taira and Minamoto clans.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Otani family was a prominent samurai clan based in the Tanba region of modern-day Kyoto Prefecture. One notable member was Otani Yoshitsugu (1559-1623), a skilled military strategist who served under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Japan's most powerful warlords.

In more recent times, Otani Kozui (1876-1948) was a renowned Buddhist scholar and leader of the Higashi Honganji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, one of Japan's major Buddhist sects.

Another notable figure was Otani Masuhiro (1901-1994), a Japanese politician and diplomat who served as the President of the House of Representatives in the 1960s and played a significant role in Japan's postwar reconstruction efforts.

While the Otani name has its roots in Japan, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, the bulk of the historical records and notable individuals associated with this surname can be traced back to its Japanese origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otani

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

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

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

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