Cothran
A surname most likely of Scottish or Irish origin, probably a variant spelling of a patronymic or place-based name that shifted in pronunciation over time.
The #8,277 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,090 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cothran is generally treated as a variant surname rather than a clearly isolated root form. It is most likely connected to a Gaelic or Scots name that was Anglicized in several ways, with the final -an or -ran reflecting local pronunciation and spelling drift. Because the name is relatively uncommon and historically variable, its exact derivation is not certain from general evidence alone.
History
The surname is found mainly in North America, especially in the United States, where it likely arrived through Scots-Irish or Scottish migration. Like many less common surnames, it appears in several spellings in historical records, which makes the earlier form harder to pin down. Modern bearers may share a common ancestral line, but the name could also have arisen independently in more than one family branch.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Cothran has been recorded in multiple spellings, family lines sometimes turn up under different names in censuses, church registers, and land records.