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

Otterbein, 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 Otterbein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otterbein in America

Otterbein is the 59171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otterbein surname appeared 342 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 Otterbein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otterbein 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 Otterbein

The surname Otterbein is of German origin, originating in the medieval period around the 12th-13th centuries. It is a topographic name derived from the German words "Otter" meaning otter and "Bein" meaning leg or bone, likely referring to a physical characteristic or occupation associated with otters or their bones.

The name is believed to have originated in the regions of modern-day Germany, where it was first recorded. Some of the earliest known references to the name can be found in historical records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Otterbein was Johannes Otterbein, a German-American clergyman and founder of the United Brethren in Christ Church, born in 1726 in Dillenburg, Germany, and died in 1813 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Another notable figure with the surname Otterbein was Philip William Otterbein, an American bishop and educator, born in 1768 in York, Pennsylvania, and died in 1813 in Baltimore, Maryland. He played a significant role in the early development of the United Brethren in Christ Church.

In the 18th century, Johan Friedrich Otterbein, a German-American minister and pioneer of the United Brethren in Christ Church, was born in 1742 in Dillenburg, Germany, and died in 1813 in Baltimore, Maryland.

The name Otterbein is also associated with Otterbein University, a private university located in Westerville, Ohio, founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.

In the 19th century, William Otterbein, an American educator and clergyman, was born in 1798 in Baltimore, Maryland, and died in 1858 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He served as the president of Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College) from 1832 to 1838.

While the surname Otterbein is not among the most common surnames globally, it has left a significant mark in various fields, particularly within the United Brethren in Christ Church and in the realm of education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otterbein

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

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

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

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