2000
#7,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,259
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Otte
Derived from the Middle Low German word "otte," meaning "riches" or "fortune," and likely referring to a wealthy individual.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,911 Americans carry the last name Otte. That puts it at #7,492 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,793 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otte 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
4.9K
1 in 69,793
Census rank
#7,492
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,283 bearers of the surname Otte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7492nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Otte
The surname "OTTE" is believed to have originated in Germany and the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German personal name "Otto" or "Oto," which means "wealthy" or "prosperous." The name likely evolved from a nickname or diminutive form, such as "Otte" or "Otteken."
In the Middle Ages, the name was commonly found in various regions of modern-day Germany and the Low Countries. Early records indicate that the name appeared in various spellings, including "Otte," "Otten," "Ottens," and "Ottes." These variations reflect regional dialects and linguistic differences in the areas where the name was prevalent.
One of the earliest documented references to the name "OTTE" can be found in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval trading network that dominated commerce in Northern Europe. Several merchants and traders bearing the name "OTTE" were involved in the league's activities during the 13th and 14th centuries.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Otte van Nijmegen was a prominent military leader and diplomat in the service of the Duchy of Guelders in the Low Countries. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Duchy and its neighboring territories.
During the 15th century, a Dutch nobleman named Otte van Bronckhorst held several influential positions in the court of the Dukes of Burgundy. He was highly regarded for his diplomatic skills and served as an ambassador to various European courts.
In the 16th century, a German scholar and humanist named Johann Otte is mentioned in historical records for his contributions to the advancement of education and classical studies. He was born in 1528 and served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
Another notable figure with the surname "OTTE" was Johann Peter Otte, a German composer and organist who lived from 1673 to 1743. He was renowned for his compositions for the organ and for his contributions to sacred music in the Baroque era.
While the surname "OTTE" has its roots in Germany and the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and the dispersion of families over the centuries. However, the name remains most prevalent in its regions of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otte
Among Census respondents with the surname Otte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Otte 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 Otte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 3,953
- Two or more races3.3% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 33
- Black or African American0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otte
Otte 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
#7,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,387
+128 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 350 places
2020
#7,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,283
-104 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Up 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,222 | 4,259 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,572 | 4,387 | 1.49 | +128 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 350 places |
| 2020 | #7,492 | 4,283 | 1.43 | -104 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 80 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 Otte 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 | #7,572 | #7,492 | 1.1% |
| Count | 4,387 | 4,283 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.43 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otte bearers went from 4,387 to 4,283 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,572 to #7,492.
FAQ
Otte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otte?
Name Census estimates that about 4,911 living Americans carry the surname Otte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,793 residents.
How common is Otte?
Otte ranks #7,492 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,283 people with the surname Otte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,911), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Otte.
Has Otte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otte went from 4,387 recorded bearers to 4,283. That is a decrease of 104 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,572 to #7,492.
What does the Census say about the background of Otte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Otte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (3,953 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Otte (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 Otte mean?
Derived from the Middle Low German word "otte," meaning "riches" or "fortune," and likely referring to a wealthy individual. 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 Otte (1.43 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 many Americans have the surname Otte?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.