Cottar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

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 Cottar is derived from the popular Norse personal name Oitir. The Gaelic forms of the surname Cottar are Mac Coitir and Mac Oitir.

Early Origins of the Cottar family

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

Early History of the Cottar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cottar 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 Cottar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cottar Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes spelled names as they sounded; therefore, single person, could have his name spelt many different ways during their lifetime. While investigating the origins of the name Cottar, many spelling variations were encountered, including: Cotter, Cotters, Cottar, Cottare, Cotteres, Cottares, Coitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Cottar 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...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cottar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cottar migration to the United States +

Ireland went through one of the most devastating periods in its history with the arrival of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Many also lost their lives from typhus, fever and dysentery. And poverty was the general rule as tenant farmers were often evicted because they could not pay the high rents. Emigration to North America gave hundreds of families a chance at a life where work, freedom, and land ownership were all possible. For those who made the long journey, it meant hope and survival. The Irish emigration to British North America and the United States opened up the gates of industry, commerce, education and the arts. Early immigration and passenger lists have shown many Irish people bearing the name Cottar:

Cottar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Cottar, who arrived in Mississippi in 1854 1

Cottar migration to Australia +

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

Cottar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ann Cottar, (b. 1829), aged 20, Irish convict who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 17th December 1849, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1914 2
Mary Ann Cottar, aged 2, a with bartlett, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Mary Green" 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Cottar (post 1700) +

Tom Cottar, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 9th District, 1998 4

Citations +

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
South Australian Register Monday 20 June 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARY GREEN 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marygreen1853.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html