Explore the Family Name Cotton
The meaning of Cotton
1. English: habitational name from any of numerous places called from Old English (æt) cotum (dative plural of cot) ‘at the cottages or huts’ (or sometimes possibly from a Middle English plural, coten). Examples include Coton (Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Staffordshire), Cottam (East Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire), and Cotham (Nottinghamshire). Particularly common in Staffordshire. 2. French: from a pet form of the personal name Nicolas (see Nicholas), derived via Nicot, or of the personal name Jacques, derived via Jacot. History: John Cotton (1584–1652) was a noted Puritan preacher, who landed at Boston, MA, from London in 1633 and became leader of the Congregationalists in America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cotton in the United States?
The surname "Cotton" held the rank of 1006 in terms of popularity based on data from the 2000 Decennial U.S. Census. By 2010, it had slipped to 1044, indicating a decrease in popularity by 3.78%. The count of individuals with this surname, however, increased by 5.09% from 31,759 in 2000 to 33,374 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a slight decrease, moving from 11.77 in 2000 to 11.31 in 2010, a shift of -3.91%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,006 | #1,044 | -3.78% |
| Count | 31,759 | 33,374 | 5.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 11.77 | 11.31 | -3.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cotton
In terms of ethnic identity, the Cotton surname showed some interesting changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. There was a minor increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (0.29% to 0.30%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.77% to 0.90%). Individuals identifying with two or more races experienced a significant surge of 44.74%, going from 1.90% to 2.75%. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic rose from 1.53% to 2.35%, a sizable increase of 53.59%. Meanwhile, those identifying as White saw a slight decrease from 53.59% to 51.36%, and those identifying as Black increased marginally from 41.92% to 42.34%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 53.59% | 51.36% | -4.16% |
| Black | 41.92% | 42.34% | 1% |
| Two or More Races | 1.9% | 2.75% | 44.74% |
| Hispanic | 1.53% | 2.35% | 53.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.77% | 0.9% | 16.88% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.29% | 0.3% | 3.45% |
Cotton ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Cotton is British & Irish, which comprises 52.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.7%) and Nigerian (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.2% |
| French & German | 18.7% |
| Nigerian | 5.4% |
| Other | 23.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Cotton
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Cotton have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.00% |
What Cotton haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Cotton is I-SK1254, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-SK1254 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L1, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lawrence, Green, Edwards, Smith, White, Holloway, Brown, Bell, Wilson, Mitchell.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cotton surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Cotton have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Cotton" Surname 35.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Cotton" Surname 22.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cotton" Surname 25.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Cotton" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cotton?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Cotton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition