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

Totten, 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 Totten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Totten in America

Totten is the 5125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Totten surname appeared 6,828 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Totten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Totten 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 Totten

The surname Totten is of English and Dutch origin, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tot," meaning a clump or tuft, and the word "henn," meaning a shed or shelter. The name was likely given to someone who lived in a hut or small dwelling.

In England, the name was initially found in the county of Essex, particularly in the areas around Colchester and Maldon. Early records show variations in spelling, including Toten, Totten, and Tottyn. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Essex Feet of Fines from 1327, which mentions a John Toten.

The surname also has Dutch origins, with the earliest known record being in the town of Leiden in Holland, where a Johannes van Totten was mentioned in a document from 1396. It is believed that the Dutch version of the name may have derived from a place name or a descriptive term related to a physical feature or location.

In the United States, the Totten surname has its roots in the early colonial period. One of the first documented individuals with this name was Robert Totten, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638 and later settled in Rhode Island. Another early Totten immigrant was Thomas Totten, who arrived in Virginia in 1666.

Several notable individuals have borne the Totten surname throughout history. Joseph Gilbert Totten (1788-1864) was a prominent American military engineer and Chief of the Corps of Engineers for the United States Army. He oversaw the construction of numerous forts and coastal defenses during his career.

Benjamin J. Totten (1808-1877) was an American politician and judge who served as a U.S. Representative from Arkansas. He was also a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1836.

Charles Adelle Lewis Totten (1851-1908) was a renowned American military instructor, author, and inventor. He taught at Yale and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and wrote extensively on topics related to military science and biblical prophecy.

James Totten (1818-1871) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and the Canadian House of Commons.

William Totten (1782-1858) was a prominent American lawyer and politician from New York who served as a U.S. Representative and as a judge on the New York Supreme Court.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Totten

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

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

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

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