Surname Potting - Meaning and Origin

Potting: What does the surname Potting mean?

The last name Potting is of Dutch origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is listed as an occupational surname meaning "one who pots or mingles", such as a potter, a vintner, or a herbalist. This surname was likely derived from the Middle Dutch word “potter”, which means “to put things into a pot”.

The first recorded use of the last name in public documents was in 1456 in Amsterdam, when an Albert Potting was mentioned in the records of the Dutch city.

Potting can also be found as Pottinger, Pottinger, Pottingers or Pottingers, which are all derived from the same original surname. It is popular in North America, where it has been used since the 18th century. Across Europe, the usage of the surname is still low, and it is particularly uncommon in Germany and Switzerland.

Today, the surname Potting can be found in various countries across the world. People with this surname can be found in places such as The United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands, and Germany.

Potting: Where does the name Potting come from?

The last name Potting is most common in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Czech Republic. It is also found in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. In the Netherlands, the name is written as “Potting” and in Germany, Austria, and Czech Republic it is written as “Pötting”.

In terms of origin, it is believed that the name comes from the Dutch word “pot”, which means “jar” and “ing” which is a suffix that signifies belonging to. Therefore, people with the last name Potting are generally thought to be descendants of a family who were jar makers.

The name can also be Anglicized in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, where it is sometimes found as “Pottinger”. There is no trace of the name in North America that predates the 19th century. However, it is likely that the name first arrived during the 19th century with immigrants from Europe.

The last name Potting is not particularly common in the United States today and is found concentrated in states such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia. In Pennsylvania, the name was among the top 1,000 surnames in the 2000 census. However, this ranking dropped to 9,983 in the 2010 census. It is likely that the name is slowly becoming less common in the US.

Variations of the surname Potting

The surname Potting can take various forms of spelling. Aside from the common spelling of 'Potting', 'Pote' and 'Pottin' are some of the most used alternate spellings. Additionally, variants such as 'Pottinck' and 'Pottyng' can also be observed.

Variant spellings are often the result of a person's regional and national origin. In the case of Potting, this surname is primarily derived from Low German, with a possible origin of Dutch. In such languages, the letters 'P' and 'T' are often interchanged, which accounts for some of the variations.

The surname Potting also had a few surnames derived from it. 'Pottinger' is the most common derivative, which was earned when somebody joined the trade guild of potters. Polttinger also appears occasionally in records, with the prefix 'Pol' meaning 'small'. However, this variation seems to be uncommon and does not occur as often as 'Pottinger'.

Another possible variant of Potting is 'Pottingen', a name which originates from the small German village of Pottingen. The inhabitants of this area usually adopted 'Pottingen' as their last name. Furthermore, Pottingen is less related to the Low German spelling of 'Potting', making it a completely separate and distinct surname.

Overall, the surname Potting has multiple variants and spellings. Despite having merging origins and backgrounds, each variant has its unique story and genealogy.

Famous people with the name Potting

• Annabella Potting: A Belgian singer/songwriter who is also an actress and model known for her unique style.
• Benno Potting: A Dutch comedian and cabaret artist who has been performing since the ‘70s and is popular for his incredibly inventive and unusual sketches, as well as his satirical political stand-up routines.
• Lothar Potting: The founder of the Potting Automobile Manufactory, a German automaker that specialises in hand-building bespoke luxury cars.
• Maria Potting: An acclaimed chef and restaurateur from Amsterdam, whose cooking style is modern, creative, and unique.
• Richard Potting: An Olympic swimmer who won a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
• Susanna Potting: A Dutch classical violinist and concert artist who has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world.
• Theodor Potting: One of the key figures in the evolutionary psychology field, renowned as one of the first to realise the importance of this field and to heavily emphasise the biological aspects of human behaviour.
• Tony Potting: A successful American entrepreneur and investor behind a handful of successful tech startups.
• Willem Potting: A Dutch painter and sculptor known for his whimsical and surrealist pieces, as well as his accurate portrayals of life in the Netherlands in the 1930s.

Other surnames

PottingerPöttinger