Cotton Surname

The History of the Cotton Surname

The surname Cotton is a popular one, with a long and fascinating history that spans multiple countries and cultures. It is thought to have originated in England, where it was derived from the Old English word "cottun," which means "a place of cottages." This suggests that the surname may have originally been used to describe someone who lived in or near a group of cottages.

Over time, the Cotton surname spread to other English-speaking countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Today, it is one of the most common surnames in the English-speaking world, with variations in spelling such as Cotten, Coton, and Coten.

United States

In the United States, the Cotton surname is particularly prevalent, with over 42,000 incidences of people bearing this name. The earliest recorded instances of the Cotton surname in the US date back to the 17th century, when English settlers brought the name with them to the New World.

Throughout American history, the Cotton surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including the famous civil rights leader Dorothy Cotton and the influential Cotton family of colonial Virginia. Today, the name is still common across the country, with concentrations in states such as Georgia, Texas, and Alabama.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the Cotton surname has a long history, with over 12,000 incidences of people bearing this name in England alone. The name is particularly associated with the North of England, where the textile industry was a major employer in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Notable bearers of the Cotton surname in the UK include the prominent politician Sir Robert Cotton and the renowned historian John Cotton, who was instrumental in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century. Today, the name remains popular in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Other Countries

Outside of the United States and the United Kingdom, the Cotton surname can be found in a variety of countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, France, South Africa, and New Zealand. While not as common as in English-speaking countries, the name still has a presence in these nations, with varying levels of incidence.

For example, in Australia and New Zealand, the Cotton surname is relatively common, with around 2,600 incidences in each country. In South Africa, the name is less common, with just under 1,000 incidences. In France, the surname is also less common, with just under 2,500 incidences.

Notable Individuals with the Cotton Surname

Throughout history, the Cotton surname has been associated with a number of notable individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields. From politics to the arts, here are just a few examples of famous people with the Cotton surname:

Dorothy Cotton (1930-2018)

Dorothy Cotton was a prominent civil rights activist and educator who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the American Civil Rights Movement. She was the highest-ranking female member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and played a key role in organizing the March on Washington in 1963.

Sir Robert Cotton (1571-1631)

Sir Robert Cotton was an influential politician and antiquarian who is best known for his collection of historical manuscripts and documents, which formed the basis of the Cotton Library. His collection included many important works of literature and historical documents, including the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf.

John Cotton (1585-1652)

John Cotton was a Puritan clergyman and theologian who played a key role in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was known for his influential sermons and writings on religious freedom and the separation of church and state, which had a lasting impact on American political thought.

Popularity and Distribution of the Cotton Surname

Based on the data provided, the Cotton surname is most prevalent in the United States, with over 42,000 incidences. This is followed by England, with over 12,000 incidences, and Oman, with over 6,000 incidences. The name also has a significant presence in Canada, Australia, and France, with several thousand incidences in each country.

While the Cotton surname is most commonly found in English-speaking countries, it can also be found in a number of other nations around the world, including Iran, Iraq, Belgium, and Yemen. Despite being less common in these countries, the name still has a presence, with hundreds to thousands of incidences in each.

Overall, the Cotton surname is a widespread and diverse one, with a long and rich history that spans multiple countries and cultures. From England to the United States to Australia, the name has left its mark on the world and continues to be a popular and well-known surname to this day.

The surname Cotton within the globe

Globalization has meant that surnames distribute far beyond their country of origin, so that it can be done to get African surnames in Europe or Indian surnames in Oceania. The exact same happens in the case of Cotton, which as you can corroborate, it can be said that it is a surname which can be found in the majority of the countries of the globe. Just as you can find nations in which undoubtedly the thickness of men and women using the surname Cotton is higher than in other countries.

The map of this Cotton surname

View Cotton surname map

The possibility of examining on a globe map about which nations hold a greater number of Cotton on earth, helps us plenty. By putting ourselves on the map, for a tangible country, we can begin to see the tangible number of individuals with all the surname Cotton, to have in this manner the particular information of all Cotton that one may presently find in that country. All this also assists us to understand not merely in which the surname Cotton arises from, but also in what manner the individuals who are initially the main household that bears the surname Cotton have moved and moved. In the same manner, you can see by which places they have settled and developed, and that's why if Cotton is our surname, it seems interesting to which other countries associated with world it will be possible this one of our ancestors once relocated to.

Countries with more Cotton in the world

If you think of it very carefully, at apellidos.de we provide you with everything you need to enable you to have the true information of which nations have actually the highest amount of people with the surname Cotton in the whole globe. Moreover, you can view them in a very graphic means on our map, in which the nations because of the greatest number of individuals with the surname Cotton can be seen painted in a more powerful tone. In this manner, sufficient reason for a single glance, it is simple to locate in which nations Cotton is a very common surname, as well as in which countries Cotton is an unusual or non-existent surname.

The fact that there was no unified spelling for the surname Cotton when the first surnames were formed allows us to find many surnames similar to Cotton.

Cotton Surname

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