2000
#7,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Otten
A German and Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a small garden or an area overgrown with brushwood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,697 Americans carry the last name Otten. That puts it at #7,773 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otten 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Otten with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,973
Census rank
#7,773
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,096 bearers of the surname Otten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7773rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otten, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Otten
The surname Otten has its origins in the Low German language, stemming from the northern regions of Germany and the Netherlands. It is believed to have derived from the Low German word "ot" or "otte," which was a diminutive form of the personal name "Otto." This name itself traces back to the Old High German name "Oudo," meaning "prosperous" or "wealthy."
The earliest known records of the Otten surname date back to the 13th century in the areas of Westphalia and Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany. It is thought that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a descendant or a follower of an individual named Otto, much like many other surnames that originated from personal names.
In the late 13th century, the name Otten appeared in the Werdener Lehnregister, an important historical document that recorded feudal landholdings in the region around the town of Werden, which is now part of the city of Essen. This suggests that the Otten family may have held land or property in this area during that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Otten surname was Johannes Otten, who lived in the German city of Lübeck in the late 14th century. He was a prominent merchant and member of the city council, indicating that the Otten family had achieved a certain level of status and influence in the region.
In the 16th century, the Otten name appeared in various Dutch records, suggesting that the surname had spread to the Netherlands. One notable figure was Adriaen Otten, a Dutch painter born in Utrecht in 1518. He was known for his detailed still-life paintings and religious works.
Another significant individual was Johann Baptist Otten, a German Roman Catholic priest and theologian who lived from 1673 to 1743. He was a renowned scholar and author, publishing several influential works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the Otten name gained prominence in the field of education. Johann Adam Otten (1798-1876) was a German educator and author who played a crucial role in the development of the Prussian education system and advocated for the inclusion of physical education in schools.
Throughout history, the Otten surname has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from merchants and artists to scholars and educators. While its origins can be traced back to northern Germany and the Low German language, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond, reflecting the migrations and histories of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otten
Among Census respondents with the surname Otten, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Otten 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 Otten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 3,657
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 166
- Two or more races3.0% · 123
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 92
- Black or African American0.9% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otten
Otten 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
#7,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,396
+279 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 109 places
2020
#7,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,096
-300 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 212 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,452 | 4,117 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,561 | 4,396 | 1.49 | +279 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 109 places |
| 2020 | #7,773 | 4,096 | 1.37 | -300 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 212 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 Otten 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 | #7,561 | #7,773 | -2.8% |
| Count | 4,396 | 4,096 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.37 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otten bearers went from 4,396 to 4,096 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 212 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,561 to #7,773.
FAQ
Otten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otten?
Name Census estimates that about 4,697 living Americans carry the surname Otten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,973 residents.
How common is Otten?
Otten ranks #7,773 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 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 4,096 people with the surname Otten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,697), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 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 Otten.
Has Otten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otten went from 4,396 recorded bearers to 4,096. That is a decrease of 300 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,561 to #7,773.
What does the Census say about the background of Otten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otten, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Otten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (3,657 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Otten (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 Otten mean?
A German and Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a small garden or an area overgrown with brushwood. 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 Otten (1.37 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 people have the surname Otten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.