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

Cottage, 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 Cottage surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cottage in America

Cottage is the 89753rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cottage surname appeared 206 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 Cottage.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cottage 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 Cottage

The surname Cottage originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cotsetla," which referred to a small dwelling or a cottage. The name was likely first used as a descriptive term for someone who lived in a humble cottage or as a distinguishing nickname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cottage can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1195, where a person named Roger Cottage was mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Richard I.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Cottegh, Cottege, and Cottedge, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that time period. There are also references to place names like Cottage Farm in Oxfordshire and Cottage Lane in Derbyshire, which may have contributed to the surname's origin.

Notable individuals with the surname Cottage include Sir John Cottage (1556-1621), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was William Cottage (1768-1855), a British farmer and agriculturist who pioneered new farming techniques and wrote extensively on agricultural practices.

In the 17th century, a family named Cottage settled in the American colonies, with records showing that John Cottage, born in 1624, was among the early settlers in Virginia. Another early American bearer of the surname was Samuel Cottage (1697-1771), a prominent merchant and landowner in Massachusetts.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Cottage was also found in various parts of England, with individuals like Thomas Cottage (1738-1810), a renowned clockmaker from Lincolnshire, and James Cottage (1821-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire.

Throughout its history, the surname Cottage has been associated with various occupations and social classes, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore the name. While the precise origins of some individuals may be lost to time, the surname Cottage remains a part of the rich tapestry of English naming traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cottage

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

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

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

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