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

Van Otterloo, 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 Van Otterloo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Van Otterloo in America

Van Otterloo is the 54296th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Van Otterloo surname appeared 380 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 Van Otterloo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Van Otterloo 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 Van Otterloo

The surname VANOTTERLOO is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the region of Gelderland, during the 16th or 17th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the Dutch place name "Otterloo," which means "otter forest" or "otter woods." The prefix "van" in the name indicates "from" or "of," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname hailed from the town or village of Otterloo.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VANOTTERLOO can be found in the Dutch archives from the late 17th century, where it appears as "Van Otterloo." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, with the eventual merging of the prefix "van" and the place name "Otterloo" into the modern form "VANOTTERLOO."

During the Dutch Golden Age, which spanned the 17th century, the Netherlands experienced a period of tremendous economic and cultural prosperity. It is possible that members of the VANOTTERLOO family may have been involved in the thriving Dutch trade or maritime industries during this time, potentially leading to the spread of the surname across various regions and countries.

One notable individual bearing the VANOTTERLOO surname was Johannes VANOTTERLOO, a Dutch artist born in 1639 in Utrecht. He was known for his landscape paintings and became a member of the renowned Utrecht Caravaggisti, a group of painters influenced by the Baroque artist Caravaggio.

Another historical figure of note was Willem VANOTTERLOO, born in 1692 in Amsterdam. He was a respected merchant and trader who established successful business ventures in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, Jacob VANOTTERLOO (1804-1881) made significant contributions to the field of Dutch literature. He was a prolific writer and poet, known for his works that celebrated the beauty of the Netherlands' natural landscapes and rural life.

Moving into the 20th century, Hendrika VANOTTERLOO (1914-2003) gained recognition as a pioneering female architect in the Netherlands. She designed several notable buildings and was instrumental in promoting modernist architectural styles in her home country.

Finally, mention should be made of Pieter VANOTTERLOO (1938-2021), a renowned Dutch sculptor whose works were exhibited in galleries and public spaces across Europe. His unique style and use of various materials, including bronze and stone, earned him widespread acclaim within the contemporary art world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Van Otterloo

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

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

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

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