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

Otero, 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 Otero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otero in America

Otero is the 1716th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otero surname appeared 20,937 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Otero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otero 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 Otero

The surname Otero originated in Spain and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "otero," which means a small hill or knoll. This suggests that the name likely originated from a person who lived near or on a small hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the Otero surname appear in medieval Spanish documents and manuscripts. For example, it is mentioned in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century manuscript that recorded information about landowners and their properties.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Otero was Pedro Otero, a Spanish nobleman who lived in the 13th century and was recorded as owning land in the region of Galicia.

Another notable figure with the Otero surname was Álvaro Otero de Prado, a Spanish military commander who served under King Ferdinand II of Aragon in the 15th century. He played a significant role in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

In the 16th century, Hernando de Otero was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico. He played a crucial role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and was later granted land and titles by the Spanish Crown.

During the 17th century, Diego Otero y Sotomayor was a prominent Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the Governor of Chile from 1629 to 1632. He was known for his efforts to strengthen Spanish control over the region and his conflicts with the indigenous Mapuche people.

In the 19th century, Manuel Otero was a Cuban poet and writer who was part of the Romantic literary movement in Latin America. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "Rimas Americanas," which celebrated the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the Americas.

The Otero surname can also be found in various place names throughout Spain, such as Otero de Herrero, Otero de Bodas, and Otero de Sanabria, among others. These place names often reflect the presence of small hills or knolls in the area, further reinforcing the geographic connection of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otero

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

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

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

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