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

Otteson, 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 Otteson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otteson in America

Otteson is the 25295th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otteson surname appeared 979 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 Otteson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otteson 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 Otteson

The surname Otteson originated in Norway and is of Old Norse origin, derived from the personal name "Otte" or "Ottar". This name is believed to have been derived from the Old Norse word "oddr", meaning "point" or "spearhead".

Otteson is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-son" to the father's given name, indicating "son of Otte". This naming convention was common in Scandinavian countries during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Otteson dates back to the 13th century in Norway. It is found in various medieval Norwegian records and documents, such as the "Diplomatarium Norvegicum", a collection of Norwegian medieval diplomas and charters.

In the 14th century, a man named Erling Otteson is mentioned in the "Kongesagaer" (The King's Sagas), a collection of historical narratives about the kings of Norway. Erling Otteson was a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Norwegian civil wars of the late 13th century.

Another notable figure with the surname Otteson was Peder Otteson Hville, a Norwegian priest and scholar who lived in the 15th century. He is known for his work as a translator and for his contributions to the translation of the Bible into Norwegian.

The name Otteson has also been associated with various place names in Norway. For example, the farm "Ottesongarden" in Trøndelag county was named after an early bearer of the surname.

As the surname spread across Scandinavia, it evolved into various spellings, such as Ottosson in Sweden and Otzen or Ottzen in Denmark. One notable bearer of the Danish variant was Hans Ottzen, a 16th-century Danish admiral who played a significant role in the Northern Seven Years' War.

Throughout history, the surname Otteson has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, craftsmen, soldiers, and scholars. While not as prominent as some other Scandinavian surnames, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otteson

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

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

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

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