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

Ottis, 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 Ottis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ottis in America

Ottis is the 76768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ottis surname appeared 250 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 Ottis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ottis 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 Ottis

The surname OTTIS is believed to have originated in Germany and its surrounding areas during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Germanic personal name Otto, which itself comes from the Old High German word "aud," meaning "wealth" or "prosperity."

The earliest known record of the OTTIS surname dates back to the 13th century in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany. It is believed to have been initially spelled in various ways, such as Ottis, Ottiss, or Ottitz, before settling on the more standardized spelling of OTTIS.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the OTTIS surname was Johannes Ottis, a merchant who lived in the town of Lübeck, Germany, in the late 14th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was Hans Ottis, a farmer and landowner from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, who was mentioned in local records from the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the OTTIS surname began to spread beyond Germany, with some individuals bearing the name appearing in neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. One notable Swiss bearer of the name was Heinrich Ottis, a Protestant minister who lived in Bern during the Reformation in the mid-16th century.

As the OTTIS surname continued to spread throughout Europe in the following centuries, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Ottis, a German explorer who accompanied the Dutch East India Company on expeditions to Southeast Asia in the early 17th century.

Another notable individual with the OTTIS surname was Friedrich Ottis, a German-born military officer who served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Throughout history, the OTTIS surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, farmers, clergy members, explorers, and military personnel. While relatively uncommon, it has left its mark on the historical record across various regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ottis

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

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

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

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