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Otterson Family History

Otterson Name Meaning

Americanized form of Norwegian Ottersen: patronymic from the personal name Ottar Old Norse Óttarr from ótti ‘fear dread’ + -arr ‘warrior’. English (northern; Durham) and Scottish (Glasgow): from the Old Norse personal name Óttarr (see 1 and Otter ) + patronymic -son.

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


Similar surnames: Stenerson, Ostenson, Iverson, Otteson, Oveson, Ottesen, Mortenson

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Otterson family from?

You can see how Otterson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Otterson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Otterson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 13 Otterson families living in Ontario. This was about 37% of all the recorded Otterson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Otterson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Otterson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Otterson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Otterson. 82% of Otterson men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Otterson | 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
    82%
  • Laborer
    19%
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What Otterson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Otterson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Otterson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Otterson

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Otterson. 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 Otterson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Otterson. For the veterans among your Otterson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Otterson military records

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What is the average Otterson lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Otterson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Otterson in 1945 was 27, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Otterson

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