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

Otis, 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 Otis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otis in America

Otis is the 4699th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otis surname appeared 7,549 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Otis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otis 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 Otis

The surname Otis is an English habitational name derived from the Norman French word "autieis," which means "hearth" or "fireplace." The name originated in Normandy, France, and was likely taken to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest known record of the name in England dates back to the late 11th century, where it appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Otes" and "Otteis." These early spellings suggest that the name was originally pronounced with a long "o" sound.

During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily found in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire in England. It was often associated with manorial estates or villages that had a central hearth or fireplace, as the name suggests.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Richard Otys, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. Another early bearer of the name was Roger Otys, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.

In the 13th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Otes" or "Ottes," as seen in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentioned a Richard Otes from Cambridgeshire.

A notable historical figure with the surname Otis was Sir John Otys (c. 1540-1593), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the 17th century, the surname began to appear more frequently in American records, particularly in New England. One of the earliest settlers with the name was Richard Otis (1601-1694), who arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1635.

Another prominent member of the Otis family was James Otis Jr. (1725-1783), a patriot and lawyer who was a leading voice in the American Revolution. He famously coined the phrase "Taxation without representation is tyranny."

Other notable individuals with the surname Otis include Harrison Gray Otis (1765-1848), a politician and lawyer who served as the third Mayor of Boston, and James Otis (1848-1912), an American industrialist and founder of the Otis Elevator Company.

Throughout its history, the surname Otis has maintained its strong association with its Norman French roots, reflecting the influence of the Norman Conquest on English surnames and the enduring legacy of this heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otis

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

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

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

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