2000
#4,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,579
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.81
Rare Last name
Otis
An English surname derived from Ode, a medieval personal name meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,211 Americans carry the last name Otis. That puts it at #4,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,743 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otis surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 41,743
Census rank
#4,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,160 bearers of the surname Otis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otis, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otis
Among Census respondents with the surname Otis, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Otis bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Otis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 5,138
- Black or African American18.5% · 1,326
- Two or more races4.5% · 321
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 272
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otis
Otis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,549
-30 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 361 places
2020
#4,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,160
-389 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.40
Rank movement Down 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,338 | 7,579 | 2.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,699 | 7,549 | 2.56 | -30 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 361 places |
| 2020 | #4,789 | 7,160 | 2.40 | -389 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 90 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Otis surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,699 | #4,789 | -1.9% |
| Count | 7,549 | 7,160 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.56 | 2.40 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otis bearers went from 7,549 to 7,160 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,699 to #4,789.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Otis
FAQ
Otis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otis?
Name Census estimates that about 8,211 living Americans carry the surname Otis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,743 residents.
How common is Otis?
Otis ranks #4,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,160 people with the surname Otis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,211), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Otis.
Has Otis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otis went from 7,549 recorded bearers to 7,160. That is a decrease of 389 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,699 to #4,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Otis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otis, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Otis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (5,138 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Black (18.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Otis (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Otis mean?
An English surname derived from Ode, a medieval personal name meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Otis (2.40 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Otis?
You can see how many people have the last name Otis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.