2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Otvos
A surname of Hungarian origin referring to a coppersmith or metalworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Otvos. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otvos surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Otvos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otvos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Otvos
The surname Otvos originates from Hungary, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "ötvös," which translates to "goldsmith" or "silversmith." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals or families involved in the crafting of precious metals.
In medieval Hungary, goldsmiths and silversmiths were highly respected and skilled tradesmen. Their work was in high demand, particularly for creating religious artifacts, jewelry, and decorative items for the nobility and wealthy merchants. The Otvos surname likely emerged as a way to identify those who practiced this esteemed craft.
One of the earliest known references to the Otvos name can be found in a document from 1487, which mentions an "Andreas Otvos" residing in the city of Buda (now part of modern-day Budapest). This record provides evidence of the surname's existence during the Renaissance period in Hungary.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Otvos surname appears to have spread across various regions of the Kingdom of Hungary, which at the time encompassed parts of present-day Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, and Croatia. Notable individuals bearing this name include Péter Otvos (1620-1687), a prominent goldsmith from Sopron, whose intricate works were highly sought after by the nobility of the time.
Another well-known bearer of the Otvos surname was Mihály Otvos (1711-1767), a celebrated silversmith from Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia). His masterpieces, including ornate chalices and reliquaries, can still be found in churches and museums throughout Central Europe.
In the 19th century, the Otvos name appears in various records from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One notable figure was Károly Otvos (1834-1909), a renowned architect from Budapest who designed several iconic buildings in the city, including the Hungarian National Museum.
As the Otvos family spread throughout Hungary and neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Ötvös, Oetvoes, and Oetvos. However, the core meaning of the name, rooted in the tradition of metalsmithing, remained consistent.
While the Otvos surname is most commonly associated with Hungary and its historical regions, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. Individuals bearing this name can trace their roots back to the skilled craftsmen who played a significant role in shaping the cultural and artistic heritage of Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otvos
Among Census respondents with the surname Otvos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Otvos bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Otvos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otvos
Otvos appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-16 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,052 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 24,052 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,787 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Otvos surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #150,452 | #148,665 | 1.2% |
| Count | 109 | 111 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otvos bearers went from 109 to 111 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #148,665.
FAQ
Otvos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otvos?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Otvos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Otvos?
Otvos ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Otvos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Otvos.
Has Otvos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otvos went from 109 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Otvos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otvos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Otvos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otvos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Otvos (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Otvos mean?
A surname of Hungarian origin referring to a coppersmith or metalworker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Otvos (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Otvos?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Otvos is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.