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Otani Family History

Otani Name Meaning

Japanese:: written 小谷 ‘small valley’. It is more usually pronounced Kotani or Koya. All three forms are from western Japan. (Ōtani): written 大谷 ‘large valley’. It is mainly found in western Japan. Pronunciation Ōya is found in eastern Japan.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Tani, Ota, Otake, Osaki, Tan, Okano, Tano, Ozaki, Tanji, Ogan

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Otani family from?

You can see how Otani families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Otani family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Otani families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 2 Otani families living in British Columbia. This was 100% of all the recorded Otani's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Otani families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Otani surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Otani ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Otani. 28% of Otani men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Otani women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Otani were Labor and Helper. .

View Census Data for Otani | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    28%
  • Laborer
    25%
  • Proprietor
    12%
  • Labor
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    50%
  • Helper
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Otani family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Otani. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Otani census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Otani

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Otani. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Otani immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 600 military records available for the last name Otani. For the veterans among your Otani ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Otani military records

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What is the average Otani lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Otani life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Otani in 1959 was 60, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Otani

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