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Home › Baby Names Directory › Cotton

Cotton

♂ Boy

Pronounced KOT-un /ˈkɒt.ən/High

Meaning: From the English surname Cotton — variously 'a dweller by the cottages/cot-town' and the word cotton (the soft fibre); a word/surname; we note the word-nameLow

In 30 seconds: A cottage dweller; cotton: Cotton is an English surname/word. Crisp, modern, and warm.
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningFrom the English surname Cotton — variously 'a dweller by the cottages/cot-town' and the word cotton (the soft fibre); a word/surname; we note the word-name
U.S. rank (2024)#8427 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births9 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2015
Total births (all-time)≈ 497

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201519182024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Cotton comes from the English surname Cotton — variously 'a dweller by the cottages/cot-town' and the word cotton (the soft fibre); a word/surname (we note the word-name). A crisp, modern name (said 'KOT-un').

In the U.S. it appears as a Southern surname/word-name. Rare, a-cottage-dweller at the root, and modern.

Did you know? Cotton is an English surname, 'a dweller by the cottages/cot-town' — also the word cotton (the soft fibre) — a crisp surname/word-name (we note the word-name; said 'KOT-un').
Overall data confidence 32%
References — Cotton — surname/word-name

Variations

CottanCotten

Nicknames

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If you like Cotton…

Colton— a sound-neighbor -ton surname boys' name
Weston— a fellow -ton surname boys' name
Sutton— a companion -ton surname boys' name
Clayton— another English name
Creighton— another surname-name pick

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cotton mean?

Cotton is an English surname/word-name — variously 'a dweller by the cottages' and 'cotton' (the fibre). We note the word-name.

How do you pronounce Cotton?

It's said KOT-un /ˈkɒt.ən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Cotton a boy or girl name?

Cotton is a boy's name here.

How popular is Cotton?

Cotton is a very rare name in the U.S.

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