2000
#2,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,977
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.44
Uncommon Last name
Cotter
An occupational surname referring to a cottager or cottage dweller, derived from the Old English "cot."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,051 Americans carry the last name Cotter. That puts it at #3,078 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,263 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cotter 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 Cotter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,263
Census rank
#3,078
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,381 bearers of the surname Cotter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3078th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cotter
The surname Cotter is of Anglo-Irish origin, deriving from the Irish Gaelic word "coteir," meaning a small hut or cottage. It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the 12th century in Ireland. The name likely referred to a person who lived in a small dwelling or cottage.
In the late 12th century, the surname Cotter appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, suggesting that those bearing the name may have migrated to England during the Norman conquest of Ireland. The name was also recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, indicating its presence in various parts of England at that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cotter surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Cotter family in County Cork, Ireland, in the 14th century.
The Cotter surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir James Cotter (1689-1761), an Irish Baronet and Member of Parliament for Askeaton in County Limerick. Another notable figure was John Cotter (1761-1808), an Irish artist and engraver known for his portraits and landscapes.
In the late 18th century, John Cotter (1753-1825), a British politician and landowner from Rockforest, County Cork, served as a Member of Parliament for Callington in Cornwall. Additionally, the Cotter family produced several Catholic priests and bishops, including Reverend Edward Cotter (1794-1854), who served as the Bishop of Leighlin in Ireland.
The Cotter surname also has ties to various place names, such as Cotterville and Cotterstown in Ireland, further emphasizing its connection to the concept of a small dwelling or cottage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cotter
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cotter 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 Cotter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 10,430
- Two or more races3.1% · 355
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 338
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 116
- Black or African American0.8% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cotter
Cotter 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
#3,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,904
-73 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 4.04
Rank movement Down 246 places
2020
#3,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,381
-523 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.81
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,764 | 11,977 | 4.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,010 | 11,904 | 4.04 | -73 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 246 places |
| 2020 | #3,078 | 11,381 | 3.81 | -523 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 68 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 Cotter 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 | #3,010 | #3,078 | -2.3% |
| Count | 11,904 | 11,381 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.04 | 3.81 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cotter bearers went from 11,904 to 11,381 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,010 to #3,078.
FAQ
Cotter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cotter?
Name Census estimates that about 13,051 living Americans carry the surname Cotter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,263 residents.
How common is Cotter?
Cotter ranks #3,078 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,381 people with the surname Cotter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Cotter.
Has Cotter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cotter went from 11,904 recorded bearers to 11,381. That is a decrease of 523 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,010 to #3,078.
What does the Census say about the background of Cotter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Cotter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (10,430 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cotter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Cotter (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 Cotter mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cottager or cottage dweller, derived from the Old English "cot." 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 Cotter (3.81 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 have the last name Cotter?
You can see how common the surname Cotter is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.