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

Otey, 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 Otey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otey in America

Otey is the 13572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otey surname appeared 2,234 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Otey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otey 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 Otey

The surname Otey is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "ote" or "ata," which means oats. It suggests that the name was initially used as a nickname for someone who worked with oats or lived near an area where oats were grown.

Otey is an English surname that can be traced back to medieval times. One of the earliest recorded references to the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is listed as "Otte."

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Otte," "Otty," and "Otey," in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. This suggests that the name was particularly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England.

During the 16th century, the Otey surname began to appear in parish records across different parts of England. One notable individual from this period was John Otey, who was born in Warwickshire in 1547.

The name Otey has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Oteley in Yorkshire and Otley in Suffolk. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain areas.

In the 17th century, the Otey surname gained prominence with individuals like William Otey, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1623. He was a notable figure in the English Civil War and fought for the Parliamentarian forces.

As the British Empire expanded, the Otey surname spread to other parts of the world. One notable individual was James Otey, who was born in Virginia, United States, in 1800. He was the first Episcopal bishop of Tennessee and played a significant role in the early development of the Episcopal Church in the American South.

Other notable individuals with the Otey surname include:

1. John Otey (1725-1813), a prominent farmer and landowner in Virginia, United States.
2. Samuel Otey (1786-1850), an American politician and lawyer from Virginia.
3. William Otey (1830-1898), an American Confederate soldier and lawyer from Virginia.
4. Edmond Otey (1850-1922), an American lawyer and judge from Tennessee.

The surname Otey has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Ote, Otte, Otty, and Otie, but the modern spelling of Otey has become the most widely accepted form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otey

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

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

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

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