2000
#5,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,300
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Cotten
Derived from the Old English word for "cottage," denoting someone who lived in or worked at a cottage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,210 Americans carry the last name Cotten. That puts it at #6,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,194 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cotten 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 Cotten with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,194
Census rank
#6,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,415 bearers of the surname Cotten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotten, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cotten
The surname Cotten has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cot," which referred to a small dwelling or a hut. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived in a modest cottage or a small house.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Cotten can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Cotte" in this historical document, indicating its existence in England during the 11th century.
In the 12th century, the surname Cotten emerged in various parts of England, including Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. It was also associated with several place names, such as Cotton in Cheshire and Cotton Abbots in Warwickshire, further solidifying its connection to the Old English word for a small dwelling.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Cotten throughout history include Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (1571-1631), an English antiquarian and the founder of the famous Cotton library, now part of the British Library. Another prominent figure was William Cotton (1786-1866), a renowned English actor and playwright who graced the stages of London's theaters during the 19th century.
In the United States, the surname Cotten gained recognition with the acclaimed actress Jennifer Cotten (1937-1995), known for her roles in films such as "The Delicate Delinquent" and "The Deep." Additionally, John Cotten (1784-1826), an American politician from North Carolina, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Across the Atlantic, the name Cotten also has a presence in France, where it is sometimes spelled as "Cotton." One notable figure was Charles Cotton (1630-1687), an English poet and writer who spent a significant portion of his life in France and is best known for his translations of the works of Horace and Lucian.
Throughout its history, the surname Cotten has undergone various spelling variations, including Cotton, Cottan, and Cottin, reflecting the fluidity of names during different time periods and regional influences. However, the essence of the name remains rooted in its humble beginnings, reflecting the modest dwellings of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cotten
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotten, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cotten 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 Cotten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.4% · 3,919
- Black or African American18.1% · 978
- Two or more races4.8% · 261
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 190
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cotten
Cotten 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
#6,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,719
+419 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 33 places
2020
#6,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,415
-304 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,982 | 5,300 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,015 | 5,719 | 1.94 | +419 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 33 places |
| 2020 | #6,087 | 5,415 | 1.81 | -304 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 72 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 Cotten 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 | #6,015 | #6,087 | -1.2% |
| Count | 5,719 | 5,415 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.94 | 1.81 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cotten bearers went from 5,719 to 5,415 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,015 to #6,087.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cotten
FAQ
Cotten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cotten?
Name Census estimates that about 6,210 living Americans carry the surname Cotten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,194 residents.
How common is Cotten?
Cotten ranks #6,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,415 people with the surname Cotten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,210), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cotten.
Has Cotten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cotten went from 5,719 recorded bearers to 5,415. That is a decrease of 304 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,015 to #6,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Cotten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotten, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Cotten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.4% (3,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cotten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.4%), Black (18.1%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Cotten (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 Cotten mean?
Derived from the Old English word for "cottage," denoting someone who lived in or worked at a cottage. 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 Cotten (1.81 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 are called Cotten?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Cotten at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.