Cotter 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 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

Cotter Ranking

In the United States, the name Cotter is the 3,199th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in New Zealand, the name Cotter is ranked the 749th 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
Cotter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cotter migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cotter Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Cotter Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

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

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

Contemporary Notables of the name Cotter (post 1700) +
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