 The name Otterburn derives from "Otter Stream", which is the beck that flows through the village.Otterburn Beck, as the stream is now known, drains a catchment covering over and flows south east, covering a distance of before running into the River Aire at Bell Busk.The low-lying pasture land between Otterburn and Bell Busk along which the Otterburn Beck travels, has been known to flood dramatically, with a particular great flood in July 1881.