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

Cotton, 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 Cotton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cotton in America

Cotton is the 1044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cotton surname appeared 33,374 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Cotton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cotton 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 Cotton

The surname Cotton originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cotun," which means "cottager" or "cottage dweller." This name was given to people who lived in small, humble dwellings or cottages.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Cotton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cotun" and "Cotune." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of landholdings in England and provides valuable insights into the names and occupations of people during that time.

In the 13th century, the surname Cotton began to appear in various records across different regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire. These regions were known for their thriving textile industries, which may have contributed to the prevalence of the name in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Cotton was Sir John Cotton (c. 1275-1349), a wealthy English landowner and knight from Cambridgeshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his involvement in the Hundred Years' War against France.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (1571-1631), an English antiquarian and collector of manuscripts. His extensive collection, known as the Cotton Library, is now part of the British Library and includes valuable historical documents such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Beowulf manuscript.

In the 17th century, the Cotton family played a significant role in the English Civil War. Sir Thomas Cotton (1594-1662) was a Royalist soldier who fought for King Charles I, while his son, Sir John Cotton (1621-1701), was a Member of Parliament and supporter of the parliamentary cause.

Another notable figure was Nathaniel Cotton (1707-1788), an English clergyman and writer who authored several works on religious subjects and is known for his book "Visions in Verse."

Throughout history, the surname Cotton has been associated with various occupations, including farmers, textile workers, and landowners. It has also been linked to various place names, such as Cotton End in Bedfordshire, Cotton in Staffordshire, and Cotton Edmunds in Cheshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cotton

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!