Surname Potts - Meaning and Origin
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read morePotts: What does the surname Potts mean?
The last name Potts is believed to have English and Scottish origins. It is derived from an English and Scottish nickname, which was most likely given to someone with ideas or a demeanor that mimicked a pot. In other words, Potts was a nickname given to someone who was hot-tempered, who had ideas that bubbled or boiled like a pot, or someone who would speak his mind regardless of the circumstance.
The surname was also given to those who worked as a potter - someone who made and sold pots, such as in the case of ceramic manufacturing. In England, it could also have been a topographic name that described someone who lived by a prominent pot-shaped landmark or feature.
Overall, the name Potts is a name steeped in English and Scotland history with a variety of meanings. It is believed to be derived from an old English and Scottish nickname for a “boiling” individual or somebody who worked as a potter. The name can also be attributed to a topographic location associated with a pot-shaped feature or landmark.
Order DNA origin analysisPotts: Where does the name Potts come from?
The last name Potts is most commonly found in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it is estimated that there are over 29,000 individuals in the United States who share the Potts surname. It is a relatively common name, ranking 1,874th in the list of most common surnames in the United States. There are a few other countries where the name Potts is found, but the United States has the highest number of individuals that share the surname.
Primary concentrations of the surname are in Pennsylvania, where around 4,800 individuals with the name Potts live. In addition, there is a large concentration in the states of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. The name is also prominent among communities in Canada, France, Germany and England.
The Potts surname is a derivation of the German name Pott, a variant spelling that is also seen among German-speaking individuals. It is thought to have originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a potter. Its usage likely extended as an English-language surname in the 1700s, when thousands of Germans seeking religious freedom migrated to the United States and France. Today, those descended from these original Potts families carry the surname on through to succeeding generations, keeping alive the memory of those who sought a better life in a new land.
Variations of the surname Potts
The surname Potts is a patronymic name that is derived from a given name, usually a father or ancestor's first name. There are many variants of the Potts surname, including Potz, Pot, Pott, Potter, Pottier, Potteri, Poti, Potière, Pottier, Potier, and Potterson. Additionally, the Potts surname has been Americanized from its European origins, resulting in variants such as Pote, Potto, and Potz.
The earliest known bearers of the Potts surname were Piotz Hildebrecht, who lived in Hesse-Kassel, Germany, in the late 16th century, and Pot Michaelsen, who was born in the county of Paderborn, Germany, in 1582. This surname was also found among the Huguenot refugees who fled to England from France in 1585, suggesting that some immigrants from French-speaking regions used an anglicized version of their original French last name.
The Potts surname can also be spelled Pot, particularly in Ireland, where this form of the name developed after the Anglicization of the Gaelic name O'Pota. It is also commonly found in Scotland in the form of MacPhee or MacPhete, derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacPhait, which is also a variant of the French name Potte.
The Potts surname is also recorded in a range of other intermediary spellings, such as Ports, Phote, Pote, Pott, Potes, Pattes, Botts, and Potey. In some cases, the Potts surname is also used today as an alternative spelling of the surname Potter.
Famous people with the name Potts
- Jon Potts: actor, best known for his roles in films such as A Bit of Bad Luck, Drive Hard and TV shows Dailycolors and Grey's Anatomy.
- Tony Potts: television news anchor and reporter in Los Angeles, California.
- Tom Potts: comic writer and cartoonist, founded the British news satire magazine Punch in 1841.
- sisters Deanna and Ann Potts: bestselling authors and speakers, they have written several books on parenting, self-improvement and spirituality.
- David Potts: CEO of Morrisons, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains.
- Griff Potts: entrepreneur and venture capitalist, founder and CEO of venture capital firm Potts Point Ventures.
- Joe Potts: musician, founding member of the metal band White Zombie.
- Mickey D. Potts: former professional football player, played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Warren Potts: jazz pianist, composer, and arranger best known for his contributions to the film scores of The 25th Hour and 2008's The Express.
- William Potts: American football coach, winning seasons with Kentucky State and Charles Brewer.