Cotten
A surname that is usually a spelling variant of Cotton, itself often tied to places named for “cottages” or to the Anglo-Norman word for a small dwelling.
The #6,015 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,986 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cotten is most likely a variant spelling of Cotton. In English surname history, Cotton commonly comes from place-names such as Cotton in Staffordshire or Suffolk, which are generally explained from Old English elements for a cottage or group of cottages. In some cases it may also reflect medieval spelling variation rather than a separate origin, with the ending -en representing local or scribal pronunciation.
History
The surname appears in records with multiple spellings, especially before spelling became standardized, so Cotten and Cotton often overlap in practice. It is found in England and later in North America, where variant spellings were preserved by different branches of the same family. The excerpt provided only shows an early surname mention, not a full etymology, so the explanation here follows the broader pattern of Cotton/Cotten usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Cotten and Cotton are close enough historically that older records may list the same family under both spellings.
From the historical record
“LVD Stev. passim *Cotten cl. LVD Sw. — 161 1. 268 (italics) *Courim mon: Harold II Montagu ij 54 Grueber (conrim)”
— Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum: a list of Anglo-Saxon proper names