«Cotton»

[Luke Atreides]

Che cosa proporreste per tradurre in italiano il cognome hobbit Cotton?
Cotman è una Famiglia hobbit della Contea.

Secondo la Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings:

Cotton. This is a place-name in origin (as are many modern surnames), from cot, a cottage or humble dwelling, and -ton, the usual shortening of 'town' in place-names (Old English tūn 'village'). It should be translated in these terms.
It is a common English surname and has, of course, in origin no connection with cotton the textile material, though it is naturally associated with it at the present day. Hobbits are represented as using tobacco, and this is made more or less credible by the suggestion that the plant was brought over the Sea by the Men of Westernesse (I 18); but it is not intended that cotton should be supposed to be known or used at that time. Since it is highly improbable that in any other language a normal and frequent village name should in any way resemble the equivalent of cotton (the material), this resemblance in the original text may be passed over. It has no importance for the narrative, See Gamgee.

La resa italiana è difficile. Forse Casalborgo.

A voi del foro l'ardua sentenza.

[Carnby]

In diverse località toscane esiste il toponimo Cotone (per esempio castello di Cotone, villa del Cotone) che deriva da cōte(m) latino e non ha connessione con il cotone come lo intendiamo oggi. Si può quindi usare tranquillamente Cotone.