Otterson Family History

Otterson Surname 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, Petterson, Ottoson, Catterson

37,000 record(s) for Otterson

11K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
1K	Military Records
1K	Immigration Records
8K	Census and Voter Lists
15K	Member Trees

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 1840 there were 6 Otterson families living in New Hampshire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Otterson's in USA. New Hampshire had the highest population of Otterson families in 1840.

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 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Otterson. 20% of Otterson men worked as a Laborer and 16% of Otterson women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Otterson were Truck driver and Teacher.

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 1940

Laborer

20%

Farmer

20%

Salesman

9%

Truck driver

7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Stenographer

16%

Maid

12%

Secretary

9%

Teacher

7%

What Otterson family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 8K 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.

Passenger List

There are 1K immigration records available for the last name Otterson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 1K 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.

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.

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.