Potton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Potton first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the village of Puttock in the county of Sussex. This habitation surname was originally derived from the Old English word puttoc which means kite, denoting a bird belonging to the hawk family.

Early Origins of the Potton family

The surname Potton was first found in Sussex where one of the first records of the family was Aelfricus (Aefric) Puttoc (died 1051) Archbishop of York (1023-1041) and Bishop of Worcester. He may have been the bishop who crowned Harold Harefoot king of England in 1036. However, when Harthacnut became king, he and others were charged to disinter Harold's body and throw it away. By the Battle of Hastings they had branched westward to Somerset where Aluried Puttoch held estates at that time.

Early History of the Potton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Potton research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1227, 1270, 1273 and 1601 are included under the topic Early Potton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Potton Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Potton has appeared include Puttoch, Puttock, Puttoc, Puttick, Puttoche, Puttocke, Putticke, Putteck, Puttex, Putton, Putten, Potton, Puttone, Pottone, Pottock, Pottocke, Pottoch and many more.

Early Notables of the Potton family

Distinguished members of the family include

Richard de Potton, 13th century, Bishop of Aberdeen

Migration of the Potton family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Potton arrived in North America very early: David Putten who landed in America in 1753; William Puttex (Puttecks) settled in Barbados in 1634.

Contemporary Notables of the name Potton (post 1700) +

Craig Potton, New Zealand conservationist and founder of Craig Potton Publishing, a book publishing company based in Nelson in 1987