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

Otoya, 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 Otoya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otoya in America

Otoya is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otoya surname appeared 226 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 Otoya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otoya 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 Otoya

The surname Otoya originates from Japan and is believed to have emerged during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) in the region of Kyushu. It is derived from the Japanese words "oto" meaning "sound" and "ya" meaning "house" or "dwelling." Historically, the name may have referred to a place or residence associated with a specific sound or auditory significance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Otoya can be found in the Taiheiki, a historical narrative detailing the struggles between the Northern and Southern Courts during the Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392). The text mentions an individual named Otoya no Saburō, who served as a retainer to the Southern Court.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Otoya Nobuyoshi (1532-1587) was a skilled swordsman and samurai who fought alongside Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Sengoku period. Nobuyoshi was known for his bravery and loyalty, and his descendants continued to carry the Otoya name.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Otoya family held significant influence in the Kyushu region. One notable member was Otoya Masanobu (1679-1746), a renowned calligrapher and scholar who authored several works on the art of calligraphy and ancient Japanese literature.

In the late 19th century, an Otoya Yasutsune (1823-1909) was a prominent businessman and landowner in Fukuoka Prefecture. He played a crucial role in the development of the region's agricultural and industrial sectors.

Another individual of note was Otoya Shinpei (1872-1945), a politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Home Affairs during the Taishō period. He was instrumental in implementing various reforms and modernizing Japan's administrative systems.

Throughout history, the Otoya surname has been associated with various place names in Kyushu, such as Otoya-chō (a former town in Fukuoka Prefecture) and Otoya-mura (a former village in Kumamoto Prefecture). These place names likely derived from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the significance of the Otoya family in those regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otoya

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

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

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

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