Where did the name “Cotton”, as a first name, come from? Is it any reference to the fabric, maybe? Most of the people I know of are from the southern part of North America. There’s a character with the name in “King of the Hill”, an animated tv show, and a NASCAR old timer (driver, I think) named Cotton. Also, I’ve known a couple men with the name while I was growing up in Bakersfield.
Peace,
mangeorge
Cotton probably started as a last name.
As a last name it goes way back in England.
The most famous historical figure with this first name was Cotton Mather, whose name was derived from his maternal grandfather’s surname, John Cotton.
The surname is derived not from the textile (which is from Arabic), but rather means “cottage homestead”.
My guess is that the current use as a given name is, like Cotton Mather’s, originally derived from the surname.
You beat me to it.
His father’s name was Increase. While I can see the biblical connection to the name, it seems odd to name someone Increase.
There’s a character named Cotton in Pink Flamingos 1972. Also Babs, Crackers, Edie, Cookie and The Egg Man.
In the 1790 census of the U.S., there were 20 people listed with the first name Cotton. 30 were in the 1800 census. 56 by 1830. By 1900, still only 56.
Everette Owens’, a NASCAR OG, nickname is “Cotton”.
There’s a cool video there if you’re a fan of old Detroit Iron. 
Them fellas sure do talk funny.
Fly-Fornication Richardson and Kill-Sin Pimple probably thought names like that were perfectly okay.
(As I understand it, it was the habit of Puritan groups in the new world to name children by opening the family Bible at random and using the first word or phrase their eyes alighted upon. It did right by Fear-God Barebone, but If-Christ-Had-Not-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned Barebone changed his name to Nicholas.)
One cite of many, as the names ought to be easy to google.
Old joke:
A young Indian man went to his father and asked, “How does our tribe name its children?”
His father said, “After the child is born, its father goes to the doorway of the teepee and looks outside. Whatever he first sees is what the child will be named. That is why your sister is Bright Sunrise, and your brother is Green Grass. But why do you ask, Two Dogs Fucking?”
Where did your name come from, Cotton I. Joe?
Cotton Eye is, I think, a nickname for very pale blue eyes.
I’ll check.
Hmmm. No mention of anything but the song and dance.
I swan, I’ve heard the term in usage as someone being “cotton eyed”. A scary one %er (Mongols) in Bakersfield name of Blue because of his pale eye color was said to be cotton eyed. Should that be "cotton-eyed?
I’ve always wondered if, when this naming practice was popular among Puritans, it was more common to refer to people by their surnames (± a Mr. or Mrs.), so the practicality of the first name wasn’t really a consideration when naming children. Is this totally off-base?
Rayon, of course, is a girl’s name.
Nylon can be either male or female. Nylon Jones 
Polyester = Polly Esther.
Denim is a man’s name.
We’ve done that one a few times the last ten years. I don’t think it was as simple as “blue eyes.”
Very pale blue eyes, Almost like an albino, but without the pink.
I’ll search here though. I’ll bet the words are all too short.
Well, this thread, (which samclem was involved in) from '06, came up in my search. Being blue-eyed or white-eyed were mentioned as possibilities.
Due to that and my own history, I’m going with that.
That joke was so old it was commercialised around here. There was a brand of lemonade here sold primarily in pub-type bottle shops called “Two Dogs”. The slogan was “Why do you ask?”
Yeah, it’s an oldie. They used it in the movie Silkwood. in 1983 and I’m sure it predates the movie by many years.
I wish Cotton was a monkey.