Find out how popular the last name Côté is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Côté.

Côté, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Côté surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Côté in America

Côté is the 1681st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Côté surname appeared 21,446 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Côté.

We can also compare 2010 data for Côté to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Côté

The surname Cote is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "coste" meaning "side" or "slope." It is believed to have originated as a toponymic surname, referring to people who lived near a hillside or slope.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Cote date back to the 12th century in Normandy, France. It is mentioned in several medieval records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Normandy in 1180.

In England, the name Cote is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating the presence of Norman settlers with this surname shortly after the Norman Conquest. The Domesday Book mentions a Radulfus Cote holding lands in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname Cote was Robert de Cote, who lived in Buckinghamshire, England, in the 13th century. Another notable early bearer was Sir John Cote, a member of the English gentry in the 14th century.

The name Cote is also associated with several place names in England, such as Cotesbach in Leicestershire and Cote Bruern in Oxfordshire. These place names likely originated from the Old English word "cot," meaning a small dwelling or shelter, combined with other descriptive elements.

In Scotland, the surname Cote is found in various spellings, including Coats, Coatts, and Cottis. One of the earliest recorded Scottish bearers was John Cote, who was listed in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Cote. One of them was Jacques Cote (1670-1748), a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the early exploration of the Canadian West.

Another notable bearer was Jean-Baptiste Cote (1730-1800), a French-Canadian painter and sculptor known for his religious artwork in the churches of Quebec.

In the United States, the surname Cote is associated with several prominent figures, including Samuel Prentiss Cote (1862-1921), a U.S. Congressman from New York, and Robert Cote (1917-1995), a political activist and labor organizer.

Overall, the surname Cote has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its origins rooted in the French language and Norman heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Côté

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Côté.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Côté was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Côté has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Côté was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Côté, please contact us.

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