Show ContentsOtt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Ott family are found in the German state of Bavaria. The Ott surname, was a local name, for someone who lived in Bavaria, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging medieval society. The name Ott evolved from the Old German personal name Ott, a name of Emperors, made famous by Otto the Great (912-973), Holy Roman emperor.

Early Origins of the Ott family

The surname Ott was first found in Bavaria, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Ott family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ott research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1743, 1755, 1788, 1792 and 1840 are included under the topic Early Ott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ott Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Ott include Ott, Otte, Ottel, Oettel, Oettle, Oettli, Otts, Ot and many more.

Early Notables of the Ott family

Prominent among members of the name Ott in this period include

  • the knight Franz Georg Ott, of the old Palatinate branch of the family, who was ennobled by the Emperor in 1563 for his outstanding display of bravery battling the Turks in Hungary

Ott Ranking

In the United States, the name Ott is the 1,484th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Ott is ranked the 2,370th most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 2


Ott migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Ott surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Ott Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Ott, who landed in New York in 1709 3
  • Philip Ott, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 3
  • Lisabeth Ott, who arrived in Carolina in 1734 3
  • Carl Sigismund Ott, who settled in Georgia in 1734 aboard the ship "Prince of Wales"
  • Hans Ott, who landed in Carolina in 1734 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Yecherish Ott, aged 27, who landed in Missouri in 1844 3
  • Johann Ott, aged 42, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1845 3
  • Christophe Ott, aged 53, who arrived in Missouri in 1845 3
  • Leonard Ott, aged 30, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 3
  • Gottfried Ott, aged 29, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ott Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Jacob Ott, aged 38, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 3
  • Karolina Ott, aged 9, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 3
  • Emilie Ott, aged 8, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 3
  • Magdalena Ott, aged 35, who landed in New York, NY in 1902 3
  • Maria Ott, aged 3, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 3

Ott migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ott Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Jacob Ott U.E. (b. 1763) born in Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Ancaster Township, Wentworth County [Ancaster], Ontario c. 1784 married to Barbara Zavitz having 1 child, he died in 1848 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Ott (post 1700) +

  • Nathan Edward Ott (1951-2024), nicknamed "Otter", American professional baseball player, coach, and manager
  • Maryanne Elizabeth Ott (1932-2022), birth name of Ann Flood, an American two-time Daytime Emmy Award nominated actress, best known for her role as journalist and author Nancy Pollock Karr in the soap opera The Edge of Night (1962-1984)
  • Brigadier-General Edward Stanley Ott (1893-1982), American Commanding General Artillery XV Corps (1943-1945) 5
  • Lynfield George Ott, American artist
  • David Ott (b. 1947), American composer of classical music
  • Hugo Ott (1931-2022), German historian and academic from Lauda-Königshofen, Germany
  • Heinrich Ott (1894-1962), German physicist
  • Harry Ott (b. 1933), East German Ambassador to the USSR (1974-81), and the Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1982-)
  • Major General Eugen Ott (1889-1977), German ambassador to Japan (1938-1942), Military attaché to Japan (1934-1938)
  • Steve Ott (b. 1982), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey player
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

USS Arizona
  • Mr. Peter Dean Ott, American Seaman First Class from Ohio, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 6
USS Indianapolis
  • Theodore Gene Ott, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 7


Suggested Readings for the name Ott +

  • Utt-Ventures: a Genealogy and History of the Ott-Utt Family in America, 1742-1982 by Claire Utt.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. 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
  5. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Edward Ott. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Ott/Edward_Stanley/USA.html
  6. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
  7. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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