Lucius Aurelius Cotta is a Roman politician from an old noble family who holds the offices of praetor (70 BCE), consul (65 BCE) and censor (64 BCE).

Both his father and grandfather of the same name had been consuls, and his two brothers, Gaius Aurelius Cotta and Marcus Aurelius Cotta, preceded him as consul in 75 and 74 BCE respectively.

His sister, Aurelia, is married to Gaius Julius Caesar, brother-in-law to Gaius Marius and possibly Lucius Cornelius Sulla, and they are the parents of the famous general and eventual dictator, Gaius Julius Caesar.