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

Cottle, 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 Cottle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cottle in America

Cottle is the 6632nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cottle surname appeared 5,108 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cottle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cottle 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 Cottle

The surname Cottle is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "cot" meaning a small dwelling or hut, and "hyll" meaning a hill or elevated land. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived on a hill where there were cottages or small dwellings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Cothill". This suggests that the name may have originally been "Cothill" before evolving into its more modern form of "Cottle". The Hundredorum Rolls were a series of records compiled in the late 13th century, listing individuals who owned land and property in various counties across England.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various spellings such as "Cottell", "Cottill", and "Cotterill" in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of spelling during that time period.

One notable figure in the history of the Cottle surname is John Cottle (1642-1719), a prominent Quaker minister and author from Gloucestershire. He wrote several religious works and was respected within the Quaker community of his time.

Another individual of note is Samuel Cottle (1770-1842), an English poet, bookseller, and publisher from Bristol. He was known for his literary connections and published works by notable poets like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey.

In the 19th century, Joseph Cottle (1770-1853), a brother of Samuel Cottle, was a prominent bookseller and publisher in Bristol. He played a significant role in the literary scene of the time and published works by authors such as William Wordsworth and Robert Southey.

William Cottle (1792-1849), a son of Joseph Cottle, was an English author and publisher who continued his father's legacy in the publishing business. He published works by various authors, including his own writings.

Thomas Cottle (1766-1823) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was involved in several notable battles and engagements, earning recognition for his service and bravery.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Cottle who have left their mark on history in various fields, ranging from literature and publishing to religion and the military.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cottle

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

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

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

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