Otterson Family History

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Otterson Name Meaning

Americanized spelling of Norwegian Ottersen, a patronymic from the personal name Ottar, Old Norse Óttarr, from ótt ‘something fearful’, ‘danger’ + -arr ‘warrior’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Otterson Family Origin

Where is the Otterson family from?

Location
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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 the 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.

View Census Data for Otterson

Otterson Family Occupations

What did your Otterson ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Otterson occupation in Canada was Farmer. 50% of Otterson's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Otterson family was Servant. Farmer, Cutter and Sailor were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Otterson.

View Census data for Otterson | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    50%

  • Cutter

    17%

  • Sailor

    17%

  • Servant

    17%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Otterson ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Otterson Historical Records

What Otterson family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 3,000 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 1881 Canadian census records for Otterson

Passenger List

There are 642 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 Card

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

You've only scratched the surface of Otterson family history.

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Otterson Life Expectancy

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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Otterson ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Otterson Family

Is anyone famous hiding in your tree?

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Victor Hugo1802 - 1885 (83)
Babe Ruth1895 - 1948 (53)
Mark Twain1835 - 1910 (74)
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Frank Lloyd Wright1867 - 1959 (91)
John Philip Sousa1854 - 1932 (77)
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