2000
#3,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,663
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.95
Uncommon Last name
Otoole
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Tuathail, meaning "descendant of Tuathal," a personal name meaning "mighty people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,271 Americans carry the last name Otoole. That puts it at #3,297 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,932 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otoole surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Otoole with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,932
Census rank
#3,297
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,701 bearers of the surname Otoole in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3297th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otoole, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Otoole
The surname OTOOLE is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Tuathail, which means "descendant of Tuathal." The name originates from County Tipperary in Ireland, and it is believed to have been adopted in the 10th or 11th century.
The name Tuathal is derived from the Old Irish word "tuath," meaning "people" or "territory," and the suffix "-al," which denotes a personal name. The prefix "Ó" means "descendant of" or "grandson of," indicating that the OTOOLE surname was originally a patronymic name.
One of the earliest recorded references to the OTOOLE name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention several members of the OTOOLE family, who were rulers and chieftains in County Tipperary.
In the 14th century, a branch of the OTOOLE family settled in County Wicklow, where they became prominent landowners and leaders. One of the most notable members of this branch was Turlough OTOOLE, who was appointed High Sheriff of County Wicklow in 1398.
Another prominent figure in Irish history with the OTOOLE surname was Sir Barnabas OTOOLE (1588-1628), who was a member of the Irish Parliament and played a significant role in the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, several members of the OTOOLE family, including Colonel Donough OTOOLE, were prominent leaders in the Confederate Catholic movement against English rule.
In the literary world, the Irish writer and politician Justin OTOOLE (1914-2003) was a notable figure. He served as a member of the Irish Parliament and was also a renowned novelist and short story writer.
Other notable individuals with the OTOOLE surname include the American actor Peter OTOOLE (1932-2013), who won numerous awards for his performances in films such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Lion in Winter," and the Australian rules footballer Dan OTOOLE (born 1990), who plays for the Fremantle Dockers in the Australian Football League.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otoole
Among Census respondents with the surname Otoole, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Otoole bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Otoole surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 9,919
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 369
- Two or more races2.5% · 263
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 84
- Black or African American0.5% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otoole
Otoole appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,842
+179 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 3.68
Rank movement Down 197 places
2020
#3,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,701
-141 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Up 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,112 | 10,663 | 3.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,309 | 10,842 | 3.68 | +179 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 197 places |
| 2020 | #3,297 | 10,701 | 3.58 | -141 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 12 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Otoole surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,309 | #3,297 | 0.4% |
| Count | 10,842 | 10,701 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.68 | 3.58 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otoole bearers went from 10,842 to 10,701 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,309 to #3,297.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Otoole
FAQ
Otoole surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otoole?
Name Census estimates that about 12,271 living Americans carry the surname Otoole. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,932 residents.
How common is Otoole?
Otoole ranks #3,297 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,701 people with the surname Otoole. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,271), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Otoole.
Has Otoole become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otoole went from 10,842 recorded bearers to 10,701. That is a decrease of 141 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,309 to #3,297.
What does the Census say about the background of Otoole?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otoole, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Otoole in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (9,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otoole appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Otoole (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Otoole mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Tuathail, meaning "descendant of Tuathal," a personal name meaning "mighty people." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Otoole (3.58 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Otoole?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.