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Cotter History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Cotter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Cotter

What does the name Cotter mean?

Although Ireland already had an established system of hereditary surnames, the Strongbownians brought many of their own naming traditions to the island. There were, however, similarities between the two systems. The Strongbownians, like the Irish, frequently used patronymic surnames, a form of surname that was built from the name of the initial bearer's father, or another older relative. Norman patronymic names, because they were originally formed in French, were often created by the addition of a diminutive suffix to the given name, such as -ot, -et, -un, -in, or -el. Occasionally, two suffixes were combined to form a double diminutive, as in the combinations of -el-in, -el-ot, -in-ot, and -et-in. These Stronbownians also created patronymic names by the prefix Fitz-, which was derived from the French word fils, and ultimately from the Latin filius, which both mean son. This prefix probably originated in Flanders or Normandy, it has disappeared from France entirely but remains common in Ireland even today. The Strongbownian surname of Cotter is derived from the popular Norse personal name Oitir. The Gaelic forms of the surname Cotter are Mac Coitir and Mac Oitir.

Early Origins of the Cotter family

The surname Cotter was first found in Oxfordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Cotter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cotter research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1630, 1689, 1705, 1720, 1754, 1763, 1831 and 1884 are included under the topic Early Cotter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cotter Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Cotter revealed many spelling variations including Cotter, Cotters, Cottar, Cottare, Cotteres, Cottares, Coitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Cotter family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Sir James Fitz Edmond Cotter (c.1630-1705) Irish soldier, colonial governor and the commander-in-chief of King James's forces, in the Irish Counties of Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry
James Cotter the Younger (1689-1720), son of Sir James Fitz Edmond Cotter, Commander of King James's forces in the Counties of Cork, Limerick, and Kerry

Cotter Ranking

In the United States, the name Cotter is the 3,199^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in New Zealand, the name Cotter is ranked the 749^th most popular surname with an estimated 969 people with that name. 2

Cotter migration to the United States +

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Cotter:

Cotter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Darby Cotter, who arrived in New England in 1740 3
John Cotter, who settled in Boston in 1764 with his wife Elizabeth
Elizabeth Cotter, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 3

Cotter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ann Cotter, who settled in Baltimore in 1804
Ann Cotter, aged 26, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1804 3
William Cotter, aged 28, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1804 3
Edmund I Cotter, who landed in America in 1811 3
Arthur Cotter, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cotter migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cotter Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

James Cotter who settled in Bay De Verde, Newfoundland, in 1783 4
Mr. James Cotter U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 5
Mr. James Cotter Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 5
Mr. Michael Cotter U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 5

Cotter Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Cotter, who settled in Quebec in 1825
Juliana Cotter, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1830
Mary Cotter, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
Charles Cotter, aged 30, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
Catherine Cotter, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cotter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cotter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Garrett Cotter (1802–1886), an Australian convict from County Cork, a ploughman by trade, he was transported to Australian in 1822 aboard the "Mangles", eponym of the Cotter River and Cotter Valley
Mr. James Cotter, (Crone, Cottor), (b. 1805), aged 17, Irish labourer who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Michael Cotter, British Convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. James Cotter, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. Charles Cotter, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 28th July 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cotter migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cotter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Pierce Cotter, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Edmund Cotter, (b. 1833), aged 28, Scottish farm labourer, from Clare travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 10
Richard Cotter, aged 34, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dorette" in 1874 11
Bessie Cotter, aged 33, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dorette" in 1874 11
Timothy Cotter, aged 11, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dorette" in 1874 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cotter (post 1700) +

William R. Cotter (1936-2023), American lawyer and academic, 18th President of Colby College from 1979 to 2000, the longest serving president in the college's history
Thomas Benedict "Tom" Cotter (1866-1906), American Major League Baseball catcher who played six games for the Boston Reds in 1891
Joseph Seamon Cotter Sr. (1861-1949), American poet, writer and playwright
Joseph Bernard Cotter (1844-1909), American clergyman, the first Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, Minnesota
James Cotter (1772-1849), American UEL, Canadian farmer, judge and politician in Upper Canada
Daniel Joseph "Dan" Cotter (1867-1935), American Major League Baseball pitcher who only ever played in one game
Holland Cotter, American reviewer awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism
G. B. Cotter, American politician, Mayor of Merrill, Wisconsin, 1953-54 12
Frank B. Cotter, American Republican politician, Candidate for Mayor of Yonkers, New York, 1933, 1937 12
Dorothy E. Cotter, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1952, 1956, 1964 12
... (Another 35 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html