Otero

Otero is a surname of Spanish origin. It is toponymic, derived from places named Otero in the Iberian Peninsula, from a term referring to a small hill or mound. Through centuries of migration and settlement, the name spread to the Americas and is now common in many Spanish-speaking countries as well as among descendants of Spanish emigrants in other regions.

The name Otero also appears in geography. In the United States, Otero County in New Mexico and Otero County in Colorado bear the name. There are additional localities and geographic features that include Otero as part of longer place names in Spanish-speaking regions, reflecting the broader toponymic roots of the term.

In culture and public life, Otero is used as a surname by numerous individuals in politics, sports, the arts, and academia. It also appears in fictional works and in the names of organizations and institutions that draw on Spanish-language naming traditions. The surname is widely found across the Hispanic world and in communities shaped by its diaspora, often serving as a marker of lineage or regional origin.