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

Cotto, 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 Cotto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cotto in America

Cotto is the 5348th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cotto surname appeared 6,506 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 Cotto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cotto 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 Cotto

The surname Cotto originated in Italy, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "cotto," meaning "cooked" or "baked." This suggests that the name may have initially belonged to a baker or someone associated with the baking trade.

One of the earliest known references to the Cotto surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Siena, where a certain Guglielmo Cotto was mentioned in a document from 1295. This indicates that the name was already established in the Tuscan region of Italy by the late medieval period.

During the Renaissance era, the Cotto family gained prominence in the city of Florence. In the 15th century, a wealthy merchant named Andrea Cotto (1425-1492) rose to become a prominent figure in the city's banking and textile industries. His son, Giuliano Cotto (1460-1523), was a renowned humanist scholar and patron of the arts, known for his patronage of the artist Raphael.

In the 16th century, the Cotto surname appeared in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, suggesting that some members of the family had settled in Spain during this period. One notable figure from this era was Diego Cotto (1535-1611), a Spanish poet and playwright who was celebrated for his works in the Golden Age of Spanish literature.

As the Cotto family spread throughout Italy and beyond, the surname experienced various spelling variations, such as Cotti, Cottone, and Cottini. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.

Another noteworthy individual with the Cotto surname was Giovanni Battista Cotto (1668-1737), an Italian architect and engineer who was renowned for his work on the construction of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice.

In more recent history, the Cotto name has been carried by several prominent figures, including the Italian-American boxer Miguel Cotto (born 1980), a former world champion in multiple weight classes, and the Italian film director and screenwriter Paolo Cotto (born 1961), known for his award-winning movies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cotto

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

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

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

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