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

Otts, 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 Otts surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otts in America

Otts is the 20818th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otts surname appeared 1,268 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 Otts.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otts 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 Otts

The surname Otts is of German origin, believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria in southern Germany during the late Middle Ages around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Germanic personal name "Otto" or "Ottho," which is a combination of the elements "od" meaning "wealth" and "wald" meaning "rule."

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various German church records and tax rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is Hans Otts, a farmer from the village of Oberndorf, whose name appears in the Regensburg tax records of 1589.

Over time, the name spread to other parts of Germany and Europe as families migrated and settled in new regions. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals bearing the name Otts in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Otts, a German composer and organist who lived from 1657 to 1719. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of the Baroque style of music.

In the 18th century, the name Otts appeared in various historical documents across Europe. For instance, Christian Otts was a prominent merchant in the city of Hamburg, Germany, who lived from 1718 to 1792.

During the 19th century, the Otts surname gained recognition through individuals such as Friedrich Otts, a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament in 1848. Another notable figure was Karl Otts, a German chemist and inventor born in 1835, known for his work on developing synthetic dyes.

As families emigrated from Europe to other parts of the world, the name Otts was carried to new regions. In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is that of Jacob Otts, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century.

Throughout history, the surname Otts has been associated with various professions and fields, from agriculture and trade to politics, music, and science. While not a widely widespread name, it has left its mark on the historical records of several countries, particularly in Germany and its neighboring regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otts

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

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

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

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