Cotton
Meaningat the cottages · English
- US rank
- #8,243
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #3,510 in 2011
9 babies were named Cotton in the US in 2025. It has dropped 2,792 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1918–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Cotton you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Cotton
Cotton Mather
American religious minister and scientific writer (1663–1728)
Choose Cotton and your child shares a first name with Cotton Mather, an American religious minister and scientific writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Cotton, like who?” Cotton Mather's Wikipedia article is available in 35 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Cotton Mather on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Peter Pelham, artist, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 188,679 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Cotton, 9 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Cotton would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCotton first shows up in US birth records in 1918, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 107 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2011, when it reached #3,510.
- Then vs nowCotton is 2.1× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 400,000 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 188,679.
- TrendCotton has slipped 2,792 places over the last five years and now sits at #8,243. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningIn English, Cotton means “at the cottages”.
About the name Cotton
Cotton is a boy name of English origin meaning “at the cottages”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-ton”. US birth records list Cotton for boys from 1918 to 2025, in 41 of those 108 years. Its best year was 2011, when it ranked #3,510 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #8,243, with 9 babies.
Origin:English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 2.5 | 408,163 boys |
| 1970s | 0.7 | 1,492,537 boys |
| 1980s | 1.7 | 591,716 boys |
| 1990s | 3.9 | 256,410 boys |
| 2000s | 5.2 | 193,050 boys |
| 2010s | 11 | 89,366 boys |
| 2020s | 6.6 | 150,376 boys |
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: William · resolute protector
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
Questions about the name Cotton
What does the name Cotton mean?
Cotton means “at the cottages” in English.
What is the origin of the name Cotton?
Cotton has English roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is Cotton a boy or girl name?
Cotton is a boy name.
How popular is the name Cotton?
Cotton ranked #8,243 for US boys in 2025, given to 9 babies. Its best year was 2011 (#3,510).