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

Oten, 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 Oten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oten in America

Oten is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oten surname appeared 132 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 Oten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oten 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 Oten

The surname "OTEN" is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the late medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old German word "oten," meaning "owning" or "possessing," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a landowner or someone of wealth and status.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which mentions a certain Hans Oten, a local merchant and landholder. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various records from the Rhineland and Palatinate regions of Germany, including tax rolls and legal documents. Notable individuals from this era include Johann Oten (c. 1420-1490), a scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Heidelberg.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Ooten, Oettingen, and Ötting. These variations often reflected regional linguistic differences and dialects.

In the 16th century, the Oten family established itself as a prominent noble lineage in the Duchy of Württemberg, with several members holding important military and administrative positions. One notable figure was Hans Christoph von Oten (1546-1621), a military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War.

The name also appears in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Scandinavia, suggesting that branches of the family may have migrated or established trade connections in these regions.

Other notable individuals with the surname Oten include:

1. Matthias Oten (1670-1745), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and still-life works.
2. Carl Friedrich Oten (1786-1854), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
3. Theodor Oten (1813-1887), a German writer and philosopher who wrote extensively on ethics and metaphysics.
4. Eugenie Oten (1882-1963), a Norwegian artist and sculptor best known for her bronze and marble sculptures.
5. Heinrich Oten (1905-1982), a German physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.

While the surname has maintained a presence in various parts of Europe over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Germany, where it emerged as a marker of land ownership and social status.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oten

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

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

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

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