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Otto Family History

Otto Surname 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 and 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


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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 1891 there were 99 Otto families living in London. This was about 44% of all the recorded Otto's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Otto families in 1891.
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 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Otto. 43% of Otto men worked as a General Labourer and 86% of Otto women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Otto were Colliery Hewer (heavy Work) and Tailoress.

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    43%
  • Retired
    29%
  • Colliery Hewer (heavy Work)
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Apartment House Keeper
    4%
  • Tailoress
    4%

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 UK 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 the UK, 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.

View all Otto military records

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