Surname Pötters - Meaning and Origin
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Pötters: What does the surname Pötters mean?
The last name Pötters is of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German word "pütter," meaning "ploughman" or "farmer." This indicates that the original bearers of the last name were farmers or agricultural workers.
The name could also originate from the Middle Dutch "petroor," which translates to "he who carries a pot on his head." This could suggest that the original bearers of the surname were pot-carriers or had some sort of occupation involving the use of a pot. It could also be a nickname for someone who was of a portly build or size.
The surname Pötters is most often found in the northwestern regions of Germany today, particularly in the Lower Rhine area. It is also commonly found in areas of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The occurrence of Pötters as a last name dates back to at least the 13th century in Germany.
Overall, the etymology of the last name Pötters points to an occupation or a nickname that is likely to have described a physical trait or feature of the original bearer. This descendants of Pötters continue to carry on that surname, which has been a part of their identity for centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisPötters: Where does the name Pötters come from?
Today, the last name Pötters is most commonly found in the Netherlands and Germany. In fact, this surname originated in Germany, more specifically in the Dutch/Belgian region of the country called North Rhine-Westphalia. The surname is most likely derived from the Low German language and is composed of two elements, "Pött" and "er". "Pött" translates to "pottery" and "er" refers to a designation of someone who is most probably engaged in such business.
Given its Dutch-German origin, Pötters is the 48th most common last name in the Netherlands. In Germany, this surname is much less common, sitting at 2,765th place. However, Pötters is still more common in Germany than it is in other European countries. In France, the name is placed at 52,248th place, while in Italy, it is found at the 95,986th spot.
What is more, Pötters is gradually making its way to North America, as the surname now ranks at 79,399th place in the United States and 62,369th place in Canada. However, its presence may be even more significant, as many German immigrants have changed their heritage surnames over the centuries.
All in all, the last name Pötters is most popular in the nations of the Netherlands and Germany, as well as gradually gaining traction in North America.
Variations of the surname Pötters
The surname Pötters can be spelled in various ways; each of these spellings are used to identify people with the same ancestral origins.
The most common variant of the surname is “Pötter”, and the most unique variant is “Peters”. The most widespread form of Pötters is “Potter”, which is found in many countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and some parts of Europe.
Other variants of Pötters include “Pöters”, “Potters”, “Putters”, “Pieters”, and “Pidders”. These spellings have either Dutch or Germanic origins, indicating that the surname originated from the region of The Netherlands.
Surnames that are related to Pötters include Peterer and Pettersen. These surnames originate from Sweden and may have come from the common Scandinavian practice of making family names using a patronymic form of “father’s name”.
As well as the variants and surnames of the same origin, there are also some unique versions of the Pötters surname. These can include “Potterly”, “Pottingen”, “Poottinger”, “Pottenburg”, and “Pottemoeller”.
Overall, the surname Pötters is widespread and quite varied, with many variants and surnames of the same origin. Despite the range of spellings and variants, the surname still shares a common origin in Germany or The Netherlands.
Famous people with the name Pötters
- Herbert Pötters: a German football player who played in the Lower Rhine Football Association from 1964 to 1991.
- Anke Pötters: a German singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for her work with the band Berlin.
- Bill Pötters: a British actor who had roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder (1954) and the television series Tarzan (1966-68).
- Petra Pötters: a German physicist, specializing in astrophysics, who works at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.
- Dirk Pötters: a Dutch classical musician and professor at Groningen Conservatory.
- Robert Pötters: a German actor best known for his role in 1957 film The Bridge.
- Johannes Pötters: a German artist known for his landscape paintings of the Rhineland.
- Tom Pötters: an Austrian poet, novelist, and playwright who was part of the Vienna Group.
- Edith Pötters: a Dutch architect and professor at the Netherlands Architecture Institute.
- Franz Pötters: a German lawyer, who served as a Justice of the German Federal Constitutional Court from 1985 until his retirement in 2004.