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

Otto, 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 Otto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otto in America

Otto is the 1587th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otto surname appeared 22,558 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Otto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otto 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 Otto

The surname OTTO is of Germanic origin and can be traced back to the medieval period in parts of central and northern Europe. It is believed to have derived from the Old German personal name Odo or Odo, which means "wealthy" or "prosperous."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OTTO can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as Odo, Ode, and Otho, indicating its widespread use across different regions.

In the 12th century, the name gained prominence with Otto I, also known as Otto the Great (912-973), who was crowned the Holy Roman Emperor in 962. His reign marked a significant period in the history of the Holy Roman Empire, and his descendants continued to use the name, solidifying its association with nobility and power.

Another notable figure bearing the surname OTTO was the German philosopher and mathematician Otto von Guericke (1602-1686), best known for his pioneering work on vacuum and atmospheric pressure. His experiments with the famous Magdeburg hemispheres demonstrated the power of air pressure and contributed significantly to the field of physics.

In the literary world, Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck (1815-1898), known as the Iron Chancellor, was a prominent German statesman who played a crucial role in the unification of Germany in the 19th century. His political acumen and diplomatic skills earned him a lasting legacy as one of the most influential figures in European history.

The OTTO surname also has a strong association with the arts, with individuals like Otto Dix (1891-1969), a renowned German painter and printmaker known for his brutal depictions of the aftermath of World War I. His works, often classified as part of the New Objectivity movement, provided a stark and unflinching portrayal of the human condition during that era.

Throughout history, the surname OTTO has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Ottonville, Ottonia, and Ottenheim, reflecting the geographic spread and evolution of the name across different regions and languages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otto

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!