2000
#67,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 274
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Otterman
A surname derived from a Germanic given name containing the elements "ot" meaning wealth and "mann" meaning man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 331 Americans carry the last name Otterman. That puts it at #72,473 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,035,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otterman 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
331
1 in 1,035,512
Census rank
#72,473
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
289
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 289 bearers of the surname Otterman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 72473rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Otterman
The surname Otterman has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the German word "Otter," referring to the semi-aquatic mammal, and "mann," meaning "man." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname, likely given to someone who lived near a river or lake where otters were found, or perhaps to someone who hunted or trapped otters for their fur.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Otterman can be found in various German parish records and town registers from the late 1400s and early 1500s. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Otterman, born in the village of Münster in 1492. Another early record is of a Wilhelm Otterman, who was mentioned in a land deed from the town of Augsburg, dated 1521.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Otterman name began to spread throughout various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. During this time, variations of the spelling emerged, such as Ottermann, Ottermenn, and Ottermans. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
One notable figure bearing the Otterman name was Johann Gottfried Otterman, a German composer and organist who lived from 1671 to 1742. He was renowned for his contributions to church music and served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels.
Another historical figure was Friedrich Otterman, a German scholar and linguist born in 1801 in the city of Leipzig. He authored several influential works on the study of ancient languages, including a widely-used textbook on Latin grammar.
In the 19th century, the Otterman name began to spread beyond Germany's borders as some families emigrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to North America. One early immigrant to America was Carl Otterman, who arrived in New York City from Hamburg, Germany, in 1852.
Another noteworthy individual was Wilhelm Otterman, a German-American artist and painter born in 1859. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works were exhibited in several prestigious galleries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the Otterman surname is relatively uncommon today, it maintains a rich history that can be traced back to its German origins centuries ago. The name has been borne by scholars, artists, and many others throughout the years, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who carried this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otterman
Among Census respondents with the surname Otterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Otterman 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 Otterman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 274
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 6
- Two or more races2.1% · 6
- Black or African American0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otterman
Otterman 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
#73,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262
-12 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 6,594 places
2020
#72,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 289
+27 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 1,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,317 | 274 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,911 | 262 | 0.09 | -12 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 6,594 places |
| 2020 | #72,473 | 289 | 0.10 | +27 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 1,438 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 Otterman 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 | #73,911 | #72,473 | 1.9% |
| Count | 262 | 289 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.10 | 7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otterman bearers went from 262 to 289 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 1,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,911 to #72,473.
FAQ
Otterman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otterman?
Name Census estimates that about 331 living Americans carry the surname Otterman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,035,512 residents.
How common is Otterman?
Otterman ranks #72,473 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 289 people with the surname Otterman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Otterman.
Has Otterman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otterman went from 262 recorded bearers to 289. That is an increase of 27 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #73,911 to #72,473.
What does the Census say about the background of Otterman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Otterman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (274 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otterman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (2.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Otterman (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 Otterman mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic given name containing the elements "ot" meaning wealth and "mann" meaning man. 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 Otterman (0.10 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 share the surname Otterman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.