Cotter (surname)
Encyclopedia
Cotter is a surname
that originates in England
and Ireland
. It can also be an Anglicization, chiefly in North America, of a similar sounding German
surname.
The English surname is a status name. This name is made up of the Old English elements 'cot' "cottage", "hut" and the suffix
er. In the feudal system a cotter held a cottage by service (rather than by rent). Reaney gives the surname deriving from the Old French
cotier "cottager" (see: villein). 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 form of the Gaelic Mac Oitir. The personal name
Oitir is the Gaelic form of the Old Norse
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
, is recorded to have assumed the Kingship of Dublin. For the origins of the noble Irish family claiming descent from this king see: Cotter family. Although unprovable, it is possible that both he and they are descendants of the famous Ohthere of Hålogaland, a great Norwegian
adventurer who appears to have gone to Ireland. He is possibly the Ottir Iarla
or Earl Ottir mentioned in the Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib, or at least related to him.
The surname can in some cases, mostly in the USA and Canada, be an Americanization
of the German surname Kotter.
and Mac Oitir.
who wrote in the mid 20th century, the Irish surname of Cotter was peculiar to Co Cork. There are at least eight place names in Co Cork which incorporate the surname (for example: Ballymacotters near Cloyne
).
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
that originates in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It can also be an Anglicization, chiefly in North America, of a similar sounding German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
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 elements 'cot' "cottage", "hut" and the suffix
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 or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
er. In the feudal system a cotter held a cottage by service (rather than by rent). Reaney gives the surname deriving from the Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
cotier "cottager" (see: villein). 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 form of the Gaelic Mac Oitir. The personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
Oitir is the Gaelic form of the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
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
Óttar of Dublin
Óttar of Dublin , in Irish Oitir Mac mic Oitir , was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin. Alternative names used in modern scholarship include: Óttar of the Isles and Óttar Óttarsson.-Life:...
("the son of Mac Ottir, i.e. Ottir") from the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
, is recorded to have assumed the Kingship of Dublin. For the origins of the noble Irish family claiming descent from this king see: Cotter family. Although unprovable, it is possible that both he and they are descendants of the famous Ohthere of Hålogaland, a great Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
adventurer who appears to have gone to Ireland. He is possibly the Ottir Iarla
Ottir Iarla
Ottir Iarla or Jarl Óttar , also Ottir Dub or Óttar the Black, and in English sources Oter comes or Count Óttar, was a jarl who occupied a prominent position among the Norse of Britain and Ireland in the early 10th century. He is believed to be the founder of the settlement, Loch dá Caech in the...
or Earl Ottir mentioned in the Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib, or at least related to him.
The surname can in some cases, mostly in the USA and Canada, be an Americanization
Americanization (immigration)
Americanization is the process of an immigrant to the United States of America becoming a person who shares American values, beliefs and customs and is assimilated into American society...
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 CoitirMac 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 father. There are specific forms of these surnames that are borne by...
and Mac Oitir.
Distribution
According ot MacLysaghtEdward MacLysaght
Edward MacLysaght was one of the foremost genealogists of twentieth century Ireland. His numerous books on Irish surnames built upon the work of Patrick Woulfe's Irish Names and Surnames and made him well known to all those researching their family past.-Early life:Edward was born in Flax Bourton...
who wrote in the mid 20th century, the Irish surname of Cotter was peculiar to Co Cork. There are at least eight place names in Co Cork which incorporate the surname (for example: Ballymacotters near Cloyne
Cloyne
Cloyne is a small town to the south-east of the town of Midleton in eastern County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is also a see city of the Anglican Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, while also giving its name to a Roman Catholic diocese...
).
List of persons with the surname
- Andrew CotterAndrew CotterAndrew Cotter is a sports broadcaster working primarily for the BBC, covering mainly golf and rugby, but also Wimbledon and The Boat Race.-Personal life:...
(born 1973), Scottish sports broadcaster - Bill CotterBill CotterWilliam "Bill" Cotter is a former Fine Gael politician in Ireland.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 general election to the 26th Dáil...
(born 1943), former Irish Fine Gael politician - Brian Cotter, Baron CotterBrian Cotter, Baron CotterBrian Joseph Michael Cotter, Baron Cotter is a politician in the United Kingdom. He was Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare, from the 1997 election until 2005.-Early life:...
(born 1938), United Kingdom politician - Cornelius P. CotterCornelius P. CotterCornelius P. Cotter, professor of political science at Stanford University, was the executive director of the Republican Committee on Program in Progress. The committee was established in 1959 by Republican National Chairman Meade Alcorn. The idea for the committee grew from the concern of...
, American professor of political science at Stanford University - Dan CotterDan CotterDaniel Joseph "Dan" Cotter , was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played in one game, in , with the Buffalo Bisons. He batted and threw right-handed.-External links:...
(1867-1935), American Major League Baseball pitcher - Edward CotterEdward CotterEdward Cotter was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He lost the Cork West constituency June 1949 by-election caused by the death of Timothy J. Murphy but was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála at the 1954 general election for the Cork West constituency...
(1902–1972), Irish Fianna Fáil politician - Eliza Taylor-CotterEliza Taylor-CotterElizabeth Jane "Eliza" Taylor-Cotter is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Janae Timmins in long-running soap opera Neighbours.-Biography and Career:...
(born 1989), Australian actress - Garrett CotterGarrett CotterGarrett Cotter was an Australian convict. The Cotter River in the Australian Capital Territory is named after him.From circa 1827, Garret Cotter inhabited the Cotter Valley and the Cotter River received its name by association. Cotter was born in 1802 in County Cork. He had been a ploughman and...
(1802–1886), Australian convict - James Cotter (judge) (1772–1849), farmer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada
- James Cotter the Younger (1689-1720), son of James Fitz Edmond Cotter
- James Fitz Edmond CotterJames Fitz Edmond CotterSir James Fitz Edmond Cotter was a soldier, a colonial governor and the commander-in-chief of King James's forces, in the Irish Counties of Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry. He was a prominent political figure in the south of Ireland and was of Royalist and Jacobite sympathies. He was also a...
(c.1630-1705), commander-in-chief of King James's forces, in the Counties of Cork, Limerick, and Kerry - Joseph Bernard CotterJoseph Bernard CotterJoseph Bernard Cotter was the first Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, in Winona, Minnesota....
(1844–1909), American priest and first Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona - Joseph CotterJoseph CotterJoseph Henry Cotter was a Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1927 to 1932. He was a member of the Conservative Party....
(1872—1937), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1927 to 1932 - Mick CotterMick CotterJohn Francis "Mick" Cotter, OAM is a retired Australian politician. Born in Yarram, Victoria, he was a pastoralist, miner, prospector and contractor before entering politics. Having moved to Western Australia, he was elected to Coolgardie Shire Council in 1965...
(born 1935), retired Australian politician - Richard D CotterRichard D CotterRichard D. Cotter , also known as Dick Cotter and R.D. Cotter, was an Irish born American member of the first California Geological Survey....
(1842-1927), Irish-American member of the first California Geological Survey - Steve CotterSteve CotterSteve Cotter is a world renowned martial artist and strength and conditioning instructor. He is the owner of FullKOntact Kettlebells and Full KOntact Fitness. Steve is also director and founder of the most recent kettlebell and fitness certifying organization, the International Kettlebell & Fitness...
, American martial artist - Tibby CotterTibby CotterAlbert "Tibby" Cotter was an Australian cricketer who played in 21 Tests between 1904 and 1912....
(1884-1917), Australian cricketer - Tom CotterTom CotterTom Cotter is an American comedian. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Late Show and Last Comic Standing. In 2003, Cotter filmed his own half-hour special for Comedy Central. Cotter has won several comedy competitions. In 1994, he won Seattle's International Stand-Up...
, American comedian - Tom Cotter (baseball)Tom Cotter (baseball)Thomas Benedict Cotter was a Major League Baseball catcher who played for one season. He played for the Boston Reds in six games in 1891, helping lead the Reds to the American Association title.-External links:...
(1866–1906), American Major League Baseball catcher - Tom Cotter (environmentalist)Tom Cotter (environmentalist)Tom Cotter is an environmental advocate and community organizer in the Central California area of the United States.-Early life:Tom Cotter grew up in Napa Valley, California, United States. A significant influence was the Boy Scouts of America...
(born 1972), American environmental advocate and community organizer - Wayne CotterWayne CotterWayne Cotter is an American stand-up comedian.Cotter attended the University of Pennsylvania where he studied electrical engineering. After college, he became a comedian and made appearances on The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and Politically Incorrect...
, American stand-up comedian - William Richard Cotter (1883–1916), English soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross
- William R. CotterWilliam R. CotterWilliam Ross Cotter was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.He was born in Hartford, Connecticut and graduated from Trinity College in 1949....
(1926–1981), Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut