2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cottis
A locational surname derived from a place meaning "cottages" or "shelters".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Cottis. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cottis 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 Cottis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Cottis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cottis, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cottis
The surname Cottis has its origins in the British Isles, specifically England, and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "cot," meaning a small dwelling or cottage. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a modest home or a small settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cottis can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with variations of the name, such as Cottus and Cotis, indicating that the surname was already in use during the Norman period.
During the 13th century, there are records of a family named Cottis residing in the county of Somerset. The name also appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, including the Pipe Rolls of the 12th and 13th centuries, which documented royal finances and land transactions.
In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the surname Cottis was John Cottis, a landowner and prominent figure in the city of Bristol. He was born around 1520 and played an active role in local politics and civic affairs.
Another historical figure with the surname Cottis was Sir Thomas Cottis, who lived in the 17th century. He was a successful merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1672. Sir Thomas Cottis was also involved in various charitable endeavors and contributed to the rebuilding efforts after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Cottis family settled in the county of Yorkshire, where they became influential landowners and businessmen. One notable member was William Cottis, born in 1740, who was a successful industrialist and owned several textile mills.
The surname Cottis has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Cottis Green in Oxfordshire and Cottis Hill in Gloucestershire. These place names may have derived from the presence of families bearing the surname in those areas.
Other prominent individuals with the surname Cottis include Robert Cottis, a respected scholar and author born in 1810, who wrote extensively on English literature and history. Additionally, Edward Cottis, born in 1865, was a renowned architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to the development of modern architecture in Britain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cottis
Among Census respondents with the surname Cottis, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cottis 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 Cottis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 108
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cottis
Cottis 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,624 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,037 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,624 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,037 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 Cottis 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 | #151,532 | #146,495 | 3.3% |
| Count | 108 | 114 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cottis bearers went from 108 to 114 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,037 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #146,495.
FAQ
Cottis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cottis?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Cottis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Cottis?
Cottis ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Cottis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Cottis.
Has Cottis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cottis went from 108 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Cottis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cottis, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Cottis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cottis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Cottis (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 Cottis mean?
A locational surname derived from a place meaning "cottages" or "shelters". 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 Cottis (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 have the surname Cottis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.