THE COTTRELL SURNAME HISTORY
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The following is a summary of information found in various sources.
There have been many different spelling variations for the surname that is now commonly spelled "Cottrell". Just a few of the spelling variations are; .Cottarel, Cotterell, Cotterill, Cothererill, Cotterel, and Coterel. The many spelling variations are believed to have come from the old French word "coterel" meaning "cottager" and from the English occupational name "Cotter". These occupational names generally described a tenant farmer (serf) who had only a few acres and lived in a cottage. A coterel/cotter usually paid for the use of his land by also working on the land of the estate owner.
A young man who became a tenant farmer would often be known by his given name and the profession type for his surname. For example, if John Cooper (a barrel maker) had a son named Thomas and that son became a tenet farmer the son might be known as Thomas Cotterill. The spelling of the surname for a person would often vary depending on who was writing the name. For example, when a son was baptized the babies surname could be spelled different than that of the father and the child's surname could change again when he choose a profession.
Therefore, all Cottrell's in the USA are not descended from Nicholas Cottrell. Several different unrelated lines have been found.
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