English, German, Dutch, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic
occupational name for an otter hunter, or nickname for someone
supposedly resembling an otter, from Middle English, Middle High
German oter, Middle Dutch otter, German Otter
‘otter’. The Jewish surname can be ornamental.English: from the late Old English personal name Ohthere, a
borrowing of Old Norse Óttar, composed of the elements
ótti ‘fear’, ‘dread’ + herr ‘army’. In Scotland the
Old Norse name is the source.French: from a Germanic
personal name composed of the elements aud, od ‘wealth’
+ hari, heri ‘army’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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Historical Documents & Family Trees with Otter
Click on a place to view Otter immigration records
The information for this chart came from the U.S. Immigration Collection at Ancestry.com.
You can find out where the majority of the Otter families were living before
they immigrated to the U.S and learn where to focus your search for foreign records.
Immigration records can tell you an ancestor's name, ship name, port of departure,
port of arrival, and destination.
Click on a circle in the chart to view Otter immigration records
You can find out when most of the Otter families immigrated
to the United States.
You can focus your search to immigration records dating from that era.
Immigration records can tell you an ancestor's name, ship name, port of departure,
port of arrival and destination.
Click on a circle in the chart to view Otter birth and death records
An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your ancestors lived in harsh conditions.
A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in
your family.
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