Otto History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Otto. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known in Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of Brandenburg-Prussia, provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Otto family.
Early Origins of the Otto family
The surname Otto was first found in Prussia, where the name Otto was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.
Early History of the Otto family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Otto research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1076, 1083, 1550, 1586, 1603, 1618, 1656 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Otto History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Otto Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Otto, Ottos, Ottoe, Oto, Otoe, Autto, Auto, Auttoe and many more.
Early Notables of the Otto family
Notable figures of the period with the name Otto were
- Otto of Nordheim (d. 1083), the Duke of Bavaria, who led the Saxon forces against king Henry IV following the excommunication of the German monarch (1076)
- Georg Otto (1550-1618), a German composer of sacred works, was Hofkapellmeister to the Landgrave of Hessen-Kassel from 1586, where, as a music instructor, his pupils included Moritz and Schutz
Otto World Ranking
In the United States, the name Otto is the 1,713rd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in Netherlands, the name Otto is ranked the 819th most popular surname with an estimated 2,388 people with that name. 2 And in South Africa, the name Otto is the 704th popular surname with an estimated 9,671 people with that name. 3
Otto migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Otto Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Heinrich Otto, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739
- Mathias Otto, who arrived in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1740 4
- John Matthew Otto, who arrived in New York, NY in 1750 4
- Nicolaus Christian Otto, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
- Henrich Otto, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Otto Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Johannes Otto, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 4
- Henry Otto, who landed in Maryland in 1828 4
- Elisabeth Otto, who landed in America in 1839 4
- Doroth Christiane Otto, aged 37, who arrived in America in 1844 4
- Friedericke Otto, who landed in Texas in 1844 4
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Otto Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Charles Otto, who arrived in Michigan in 1902 4
- Charles Otto, who settled in Michigan in 1902 with his wife, Alette Swendsen, and their two children
Otto migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Otto Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Gottfried Otto, who landed in Canada in 1783
- Mr. Johan Gottlieb Otto U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 5
Otto migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Otto Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Contemporary Notables of the name Otto (post 1700) +
- Elinor Otto (1919-2023), American factory worker who was one of the original Rosie the Riveters
- John Clifford Otto (1948-2020), American Certified Public Accountant and a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives
- John Conrad Otto (1774-1844), American physician from Woodbridge, New Jersey
- William Tod Otto (1816-1905), American jurist, United States Supreme Court Reporter of Decisions (1875-1883), son of noted physician John Conrad Otto
- John Otto (1900-1966), American cyclist at the 1920 Summer Olympics
- John Otto (1929-1999), American radio talk show host in Buffalo, New York
- John Otto (1870-1952), the first park custodian at Colorado National Monument
- John E. Otto (b. 1938), American acting director of the FBI in 1987
- Michael Everett Otto (b. 1983), American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans (2007-2014)
- Thomas Otto (b. 1938), American engineer, owner and founder of Thor Engineers, Leonia, N.J
- ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Otto family +
Bismarck
- Herbert Otto (1917-1941), German Maschinenmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 7
Suggested Readings for the name Otto +
- The Trummel Family, 1633-1989 and Related Lines Otto, Gurtner, Ehling by Eleanor Clary.
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
- "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GELLERT 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Gellert.htm
- Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details