2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cottee
A surname derived from a geographical location or an occupational name for a cottager.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Cottee. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cottee surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cottee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Cottee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cottee, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cottee
The surname Cottee has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cot," which referred to a small, humble dwelling or cottage. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive one, given to someone who resided in a modest abode.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a certain Richard Cotte is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different regions of England, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where a John Cotte is listed. This suggests that the name had spread across multiple counties by this time.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the influential Paston family of Norfolk. One of the letters, dated 1472, mentions a William Cottee, providing further evidence of the surname's existence during this period.
As for notable individuals bearing the Cottee surname, one of the earliest recorded was Sir John Cottee, a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in the early 16th century, born around 1490. Another early figure was William Cottee, a renowned merchant and philanthropist from London, who lived from 1552 to 1623.
In the 17th century, the name continued to be found in various records, including the Hearth Tax Returns of Middlesex in 1666, which listed a Thomas Cottee as a resident of the area.
Moving into the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname was James Cottee (1704-1778), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Foundling Hospital.
During the 19th century, the Cottee name gained further recognition with the birth of William Cottee (1823-1892), a successful businessman and industrialist who established the Cottee's Seed Company in Australia.
Throughout its history, the Cottee surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Cottee's Farm in Oxfordshire and Cottee's Lane in Hertfordshire, further solidifying its connection to the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cottee
Among Census respondents with the surname Cottee, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cottee bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cottee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 92
- Black or African American8.2% · 9
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cottee
Cottee appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,674 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,674 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,323 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cottee surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #153,769 | #149,446 | 2.8% |
| Count | 106 | 110 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cottee bearers went from 106 to 110 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #149,446.
FAQ
Cottee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cottee?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Cottee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Cottee?
Cottee ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Cottee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cottee.
Has Cottee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cottee went from 106 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Cottee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cottee, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cottee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cottee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Black (8.2%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cottee (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cottee mean?
A surname derived from a geographical location or an occupational name for a cottager. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cottee (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Cottee?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.