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Cotton Family History

Cotton Surname Meaning

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.

French: from a pet form of the personal name Nicolas (see Nicholas) derived via Nicot or of the personal name Jacques derived via Jacot.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cotton family from?

You can see how Cotton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cotton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cotton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 887 Cotton families living in Staffordshire. This was about 14% of all the recorded Cotton's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Cotton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cotton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cotton ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cotton. 8% of Cotton men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Cotton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cotton were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Cotton | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Cotton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 253,000 census records available for the last name Cotton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cotton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cotton

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Cotton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cotton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 41,000 military records available for the last name Cotton. For the veterans among your Cotton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cotton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cotton family history

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What is the average Cotton lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Cotton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Cotton in 1942 was 30, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cotton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cotton ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cotton family tree

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