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

Similar surnames: Otter, Cutter, Cotner, Potter, Cater, Coster, Rotter, Cotten, Comer, Colter

425,000 record(s) for Cotter

137K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
19K	Military Records
21K	Immigration Records
109K	Census and Voter Lists
137K	Member Trees

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 1840 there were 14 Cotter families living in New York. This was about 21% of all the recorded Cotter's in USA. New York had the highest population of Cotter families in 1840.

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.

What did your Cotter ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Cotter. 13% of Cotter men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Cotter women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cotter were Clerk and Waitress.

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 1940

Laborer

13%

Farmer

10%

Salesman

8%

Clerk

6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Teacher

9%

Clerk

8%

Stenographer

7%

Waitress

6%

What Cotter family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 109K 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.

Passenger List

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

Military Records

There are 19K 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.

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.

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.