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

Otterstetter, 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 Otterstetter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otterstetter in America

Otterstetter is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otterstetter surname appeared 153 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 Otterstetter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otterstetter 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 Otterstetter

The surname Otterstetter has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the medieval period. The name is derived from the Middle High German words "oter" meaning "otter" and "stette" meaning "place," suggesting it may have originally referred to someone who lived near a place frequented by otters.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Otterstetter name can be found in the Bavarian town of Nuremberg in the late 13th century, where a certain Heinrich Otterstetter is mentioned in municipal records from the year 1287. This indicates that the name was already established in southern Germany by that time.

In the 15th century, the Otterstetter name appears in various historical documents from the region of Swabia, located in present-day southwestern Germany. For example, a Johannes Otterstetter is mentioned in a land registry from the town of Ulm, dated 1436.

A notable bearer of the Otterstetter name was the Bavarian mathematician and astronomer Michael Otterstetter, who lived from 1598 to 1666. He is known for his contributions to the fields of astronomy and cartography, and his works include the treatise "Synopsis Mathematica" published in 1643.

Another prominent figure with this surname was the German painter and engraver Johann Otterstetter, born in Nuremberg in 1572. He was known for his religious and allegorical works, and his engravings were widely distributed throughout Europe during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, the Otterstetter name can be found in records from the city of Augsburg, where a family of that name was involved in the textile trade. One member, Georg Otterstetter (1721-1795), served as a prominent merchant and councilor in the city.

The name Otterstetter has also been documented in various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Otterstaetter, Otterstedter, and Ottersteder, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otterstetter

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

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

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

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