Explore the Family Name Otterson
The meaning of Otterson
1. Americanized form of Norwegian Ottersen: patronymic from the personal name Ottar, Old Norse Óttarr, from ótti ‘fear, dread’ + -arr ‘warrior’. 2. English (northern; Durham) and Scottish (Glasgow): from the Old Norse personal name Óttarr (see 1 and Otter 3) + patronymic -son.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Otterson in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Otterson has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Otterson was ranked as the 19,343rd most popular name in the United States with 1,296 individuals bearing the name. By 2010, it had dropped to the 21,360th rank, representing a change of -10.43%. The count of people with the surname also decreased by 5.4% over this decade, from 1,296 to 1,226. Consequently, the proportion of people named Otterson per 100k population declined by 12.5%, from 0.48 to 0.42.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,343 | #21,360 | -10.43% |
| Count | 1,296 | 1,226 | -5.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.48 | 0.42 | -12.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Otterson
In terms of ethnic identity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the distribution has shown some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest group remained those identifying as White, although their proportion decreased slightly from 95.60% to 94.29%. The proportion identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased most significantly, from 0.69% to 1.06%, reflecting a 53.62% change. The second notable increase was seen among those reporting two or more races, which rose from 1.23% to 1.71%. Hispanics represented 1.39% of the Ottersons in 2000 and increased to 1.88% by 2010. The proportion of Black Ottersons decreased slightly, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a minor increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.6% | 94.29% | -1.37% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 1.88% | 35.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.23% | 1.71% | 39.02% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.69% | 1.06% | 53.62% |
| Black | 0.62% | 0.57% | -8.06% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.46% | 0.49% | 6.52% |