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

Cotero, 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 Cotero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cotero in America

Cotero is the 81181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cotero surname appeared 233 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cotero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cotero 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 Cotero

The surname Cotero is believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "cotero," which means "one who lives near or by the shore." This suggests that the name was likely borne by individuals who resided in coastal regions or villages near the sea.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cotero can be found in the Archivo Histórico Nacional de España (National Historical Archive of Spain), which contains documents dating back to the 13th century. In these records, the name is spelled in various ways, such as "Coteiro," "Coteyro," and "Cotero."

During the 14th century, the name Cotero appeared in several medieval manuscripts from the regions of Galicia and Asturias in northwestern Spain. These documents often referred to individuals who held land or property near the coastline, further solidifying the connection between the name and its maritime origins.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Juan Cotero (1437-1512) was a renowned navigator and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Americas. His exploits were documented in various travel logs and journals of the time, cementing his place in the annals of Spanish exploration.

Another notable bearer of the name was María Cotero (1562-1634), a Spanish aristocrat and landowner from the province of Cádiz. Historical records indicate that she owned vast estates along the southern coast of Spain, lending credence to the surname's coastal associations.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cotero name was also found in various municipal records and property deeds from coastal towns and villages throughout Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia, Galicia, and Asturias.

In the 18th century, a scholar and theologian named Francisco Cotero (1701-1784) gained recognition for his writings on religious philosophy and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time. His works were widely circulated and discussed among academic circles in Spain and beyond.

As the centuries progressed, the Cotero surname continued to be associated with coastal regions and maritime activities, reflecting the enduring connection between the name and its origins near the shoreline.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cotero

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

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 Cotero 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 Cotero 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 Cotero was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!