Cotton Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Cotton last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Cotton last name
Meaning of the Cotton last name: at the cottages. Cotton is an English surname from places called Coton or Cotton, from Old English cot, "cottage", meaning "at the cottages". Such places are common in the Midlands, especially Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. A curious detail of this family name meaning: the last name has nothing to do with the cloth, and an antiquary named Cotton gathered the manuscript collection that includes the only surviving copy of Beowulf.
Arms associated with the Cotton name
In English heraldry gold stood for generosity and blue for loyalty, and coats of arms associated with the Cotton name speak that old language of colour.
Get your full Cotton family history
This is only a glimpse of the Cotton story. The full Cotton history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Cotton coat of arms. Get the full Cotton report.
Cotton name FAQ
What does the Cotton name mean?
At the cottages. Common variants include Coton, Cotten.
Where does the Cotton surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Cotton coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Cotton coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).