Cotter is a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

that originates in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It can also be an

Anglicization Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by Culture of England, English culture or Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English ...

, chiefly in North America, of a similar-sounding

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

surname.

Origin of the name

The surname Cotter has several different origins. The English surname is a status name. This name is made up of the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

elements 'cot' "cottage", "hut" and the

suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carry ...

''er''. In the

feudal system Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...

a cotter held a cottage by service (rather than by rent). Reaney gives the surname deriving from the

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

''cotier'' "cottager" (see:

villein A villein, otherwise known as ''cottar'' or ''crofter'', is a serf tied to the land in the feudal system. Villeins had more rights and social status than those in slavery, but were under a number of legal restrictions which differentiated them ...

). Early bearers of the English surname are Robert le Robert ''le Cotier'' in 1198; and William ''le Coter''(''e'') in 1270 and 1297. The Irish name is a reduced

anglicised Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

form of the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

Mac Oitir Mac or MAC most commonly refers to: * Mac (computer), a family of personal computers made by Apple Inc. * Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth * A variant of the word macaroni, mostly used in the name of the dish mac and cheese * Mac, ...

''. The

personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...

''Oitir'' is the Gaelic form of the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

''Óttarr''. The Old Norse name is made up of the elements ''ótti'' "fear", "dread" and ''herr'' "army". An early Irish record of the name occurs in 1142, when '' Mac Mic Ottir .i. Ottir'' ("the son of Mac Ottir, i.e. Ottir") from the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...

, is recorded to have assumed the

Kingship of Dublin Vikings invaded the territory around Dublin in the 9th century, establishing the Norse Kingdom of Dublin, the earliest and longest-lasting Norse kingdom in Ireland. Its territory corresponded to most of present-day County Dublin. The Norse refe ...

. See also: For the origins of the noble Irish family claiming descent from this king see: ''

Cotter family The Norse-Gaelic Cotter family (Irish Mac Coitir or Mac Oitir) of Ireland was associated with County Cork and ancient Cork city. The family was also associated with the Isle of Man and the Hebrides. Evidence suggests an ultimately Norwegian ...

''. Although unprovable, it is possible that both he and they are descendants of the famous

Ohthere of Hålogaland Ohthere of Hålogaland ( no, Ottar fra Hålogaland) was a Viking Age Norwegian seafarer known only from an account of his travels that he gave to King Alfred (r. 871–99) of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex in about 890 AD. His account ...

, a great

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

adventurer who appears to have gone to Ireland. He is possibly the

Ottir Iarla Earl Ottir ( non, Óttar jarl; lat-med, Oter comes, lit=Count Oter; died 918), also known as Ottir the Black ( sga, Ottir Dub), was a jarl who occupied a prominent position among the Norse of Britain and Ireland in the early 10th century. He is ...

or Earl Ottir mentioned in the ''

Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib ''Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib'' ("The War of the Irish with the Foreigners") is a medieval Irish text that tells of the depredations of the Vikings and Uí Ímair dynasty in Ireland and the Irish king Brian Boru's great war against them, beginning ...

'', or at least related to him. The surname can in some cases, mostly in the US and Canada, be an

Americanization Americanization or Americanisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is the influence of American culture and business on other countries outside the America, United ...

of the German surname '' Kotter''.

Similar surnames

Similar, or related surnames include: '' Coates'', '' Cottier'', ''Kotter''. ''Cotter'' can be rendered into the Irish language as ''

Mac Coitir ''Mac Coitir'' and ''Mac Oitir'' are masculine surnames in the Irish language. The names translate into English as "son of ''Oitir''". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's fat ...

'' and ''Mac Oitir''.

Distribution

According to MacLysaght who wrote in the mid 20th century, the Irish surname of ''Cotter'' was peculiar to

Co Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

. There are at least eight place names in Co Cork which incorporate the surname (for example: Ballymacotters near

Cloyne Cloyne () is a small town to the southeast of Midleton in eastern County Cork. It is also a see city of the Anglican (Church of Ireland) Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, while also giving its name to a Roman Catholic diocese. St Colman's Cath ...

List of persons with the surname

Andrew Cotter Andrew Douglas Millar Cotter (born 20 July 1973) is a Scottish sports presenter, sports broadcaster working primarily for the BBC, covering mainly golf and rugby union, but also tennis, Sport of athletics, athletics and The Boat Race. Personal ...

(born 1973), Scottish sports broadcaster *

Bill Cotter William Cotter (born 10 February 1943) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician A school principal before entering politics, he was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt, when he stood in the Cavan–Monaghan constituency at the 1989 ...

(born 1943), former Irish Fine Gael politician *

Brian Cotter, Baron Cotter Brian Joseph Michael Cotter, Baron Cotter (born 24 August 1936) is a politician in the United Kingdom. He was Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliame ...

(born 1936), United Kingdom politician * Brigid Cotter (1921–1978), Irish and English barrister and chemist. * Cornelius P. Cotter, American professor of political science at Stanford University * Dan Cotter (1867–1935), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Ed Cotter (1904–1959), American Major League Baseball player * Edmond Cotter (1852–1934), British soldier who played in the 1872 FA Cup Final *

Edmund Cotter Edmund McCarthny (Ed) Cotter (15 January 1927 – 19 October 2017) was a New Zealand mountaineer who made several first ascents on the West Coast of New Zealand and was part of the team that first climbed the Maximilian Ridge on Mount Elie de Bea ...

(1927–2017), New Zealand mountaineer * Edward Cotter (politician) (1902–1972), Irish Fianna Fáil politician *

Eliza Taylor-Cotter Eliza Jane Morley ( Taylor-Cotter; born 24 October 1989), known professionally as Eliza Taylor, is an Australian actress. She is best known for her roles as Janae Timmins on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' (2005–08) and as Clarke Gri ...

(born 1989), Australian actress *

Garrett Cotter Garrett Cotter (1802–1886) was an Australian convict. The Cotter River and the Cotter Dam in the Australian Capital Territory are named after him. From circa 1827, Garret Cotter inhabited the Cotter Valley. Cotter was born in 1802 in County Co ...

(1802–1886), Australian convict * Imogen Cotter (born 1993), Irish cyclist *

James Cotter (judge) James Cotter (1772 – January 18, 1849) was a farmer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada. He was born in New York state in 1772, the son of a United Empire Loyalist. He settled in Adolphustown Township in 1794 and, around 1817, moved ...

(1772–1849), farmer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada *

James Cotter the Younger James Cotter the Younger ( ir, Séamus Óg Mac Coitir; 4 August 1689 – 7 May 1720), or James Cotter of Anngrove, was the son of Sir James Fitz Edmond Cotter who had commanded King James's Irish Army forces in the Counties of Cork, Limerick, and ...

(1689–1720), son of James Fitz Edmond Cotter *

James Fitz Edmond Cotter Sir James Fitz Edmond Cotter ( ir, Séamus Buidhe Mac Coitir or ''Séamus Mac Éamonn Mhic Coitir''; c.1630–1705) was a soldier, a colonial governor and the commander-in-chief of King James's forces, in the Irish Counties of Cork, Limerick, Tip ...

(–1705), commander-in-chief of King James's forces, in the Counties of Cork, Limerick, and Kerry * Jim Cotter (born 1964), Irish-born American writer, journalist, and broadcaster. * Jeremy Cotter (born 1967/1968) New Zealand rugby union coach * John P. Cotter (1911–1993), Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court *

Joseph Bernard Cotter Joseph Bernard Cotter (November 19, 1844 – June 27, 1909) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Winona in Minnesota from 1889 to 1909. Biography Early life Joseph Cotter ...

(1844–1909), American priest and first Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona *

Joseph Henry Cotter Joseph Henry Cotter (January 1, 1872—September 30, 1937) was a Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1927 to 1932. He was a member of the Conservative Party. Cotter was born in Milan, Italy, the son of a Church of E ...

(1872—1937), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1927 to 1932 * Joseph Seamon Cotter Sr. (1861–1949), American poet, writer, playwright * Mick Cotter (born 1935), retired Australian politician * Patricia O'Brien Cotter (fl. 1970s–2010s), Associate Justice of the Montana Supreme Court * Richard D Cotter (1842–1927), Irish-American member of the first California Geological Survey *

Tibby Cotter Albert "Tibby" Cotter (3 December 1883 – 31 October 1917) was an Australian cricketer who played in 21 Test matches between 1904 and 1912. He served in World War I with the First Australian Imperial Force and was killed in action in the moun ...

(1884–1917), Australian cricketer *

Tom Cotter (comedian) Thomas Cotter (born June 20, 1963) is an American comedian who currently resides in Stony Point, New York, known for being the runner-up of the seventh season of '' America's Got Talent'', losing to Olate Dogs.Tom Cotter (baseball) (1866–1906), American Major League Baseball catcher * Tom Cotter (environmentalist) (born 1972), American environmental advocate and community organizer *

Vern Cotter Vern is a masculine given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Vernon, Lavern or other names. People named Vern include: * Vernon Vern Bakalich (1929–2015), New Zealand rugby league player * Verdi Vern Barberis (1928–2005), Australian w ...

(born 1962), New Zealand rugby union player and coach *

Wayne Cotter Wayne Cotter is an American stand-up comedian. Cotter attended the University of Pennsylvania where he studied computer engineering. After college, he became a comedian and made appearances on ''The Tonight Show'', '' Late Show with David Le ...

, American stand-up comedian * William Richard Cotter (1883–1916), English soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross * William R. Cotter (politician) (1926–1981), Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut *

William Timothy Cotter William Timothy Cotter (1866–1940) was an Irish-born prelate who served as the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth, England, from 1910 to 1940. Life William Timothy Cotter was born in Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland on 21 December 1866. H ...

(1866–1940), Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth (1910–1940)

List of persons with the given name

Cotter Smith Joseph Cotter Smith (born May 29, 1949) is an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life He was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Madeline (née Cotter) and John Lewis Smith, Jr., who was a federal judge. He graduated from the ...

(born 1949), American actor

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotter (Surname) Surnames