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

Otwell, 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 Otwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otwell in America

Otwell is the 17087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otwell surname appeared 1,661 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Otwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otwell 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 Otwell

The surname Otwell is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ote," meaning oat, and "well," referring to a spring or stream, suggesting the name may have been given to someone who lived near an oat stream or well.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Otewelle," referring to a location in Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name may have originated as a toponymic surname, indicating a person's place of residence or origin.

During the 13th century, the surname took on various spellings, such as Ottewell, Otwell, and Oatwell, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations in pronunciation. Notable bearers of the name from this period include William Otwell, a landowner mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230.

In the 14th century, the Otwell family established themselves in Buckinghamshire, where they held considerable estates. John Otwell, born around 1320, was a prominent figure in the region and served as a member of the local gentry.

The 16th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing the Otwell surname. One such figure was Thomas Otwell, born in 1542 in Warwickshire, who became a respected scholar and author, contributing works on theology and philosophy.

As the centuries progressed, the Otwell name continued to spread across England, with members of the family achieving distinction in various fields. In the 18th century, Samuel Otwell (1718-1793) gained recognition as a renowned architect, responsible for designing several notable buildings in London.

Another prominent bearer of the surname was Sir Arthur Otwell (1836-1912), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament, representing Derbyshire in the House of Commons.

Throughout its history, the Otwell surname has been associated with various place names, such as Otwell Farm in Gloucestershire and Otwell Bridge in Lancashire, further reinforcing its connection to geographic locations and landmarks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otwell

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

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

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

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