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Cotter Family History

Cotter Surname Meaning

Irish (Cork): from a shortened form of Mac Coitir earlier Mac Oitir ‘son of Oitir’ a Gaelicized form of the Old Norse personal name Óttarr (from ótti ‘fear dread’). Old Norse Óttarr appears to have had two renderings in Gaelic Ottar and Oitir.

The former appears in Cotter the latter in Cottier but the record especially of Cottier suggests that the two names have sometimes been confused.

English: status name from Middle English coter, a technical term in the feudal system for a serf or bond tenant who held a cottage by service rather than rent from Old English cot ‘cottage hut’ (see Coates) + -er agent suffix.

However, in England the name is usually that of Irish immigrant families. Possibly an Americanized form of German Kotter.

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


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Where is the Cotter family from?

You can see how Cotter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cotter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cotter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 291 Cotter families living in London. This was about 29% of all the recorded Cotter's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Cotter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cotter 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 Cotter 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 Cotter. 23% of Cotter men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Cotter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cotter were Medical Practitioner and Private Means.

View Census Data for Cotter | 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
    23%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Medical Practitioner
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Cotter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 109,000 census records available for the last name Cotter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cotter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cotter

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Cotter. 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 Cotter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Cotter. For the veterans among your Cotter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cotter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cotter family history

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What is the average Cotter lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Cotter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Cotter in 1945 was 39, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cotter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cotter 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.

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