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Otto Family History

Otto Name Meaning

German Danish Swedish and Dutch; Hungarian (Ottó): from the personal name Otto a short form of ancient Germanic compound names based on the element aud ōd ‘wealth prosperity’ (see also Ott ). The name Otto was a hereditary name in the Saxon ruling house as well as being borne by Otto von Wittelsbach who founded the Bavarian ruling dynasty in the 11th century and the 12th-century Saint Otto of Bamberg apostle of Pomerania.

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


Similar surnames: Otte, Otts, Ott, Otten, Lotto, Notte, Motto, Gotto, Botto, Oltz

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Where is the Otto family from?

You can see how Otto families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Otto family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Otto families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 222 Otto families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Otto's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Otto families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Otto surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Otto ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Otto. 58% of Otto men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Otto women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Otto were Laborer and Servant. .

View Census Data for Otto | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    58%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Farmers Son
    7%
  • Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    19%
  • Student
    19%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Servant
    14%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Otto family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 122,000 census records available for the last name Otto. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Otto census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Otto

Passenger Lists

There are 30,000 immigration records available for the last name Otto. 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 Otto immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Otto. For the veterans among your Otto ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Otto lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Otto life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Otto in 1944 was 37, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Otto

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