Contents [hide]

Pott History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Pott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland

The name Pott is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of the Britain and comes from Phillip. A common medieval English form of the name Phillip is Philpot. This form was often shortened to the diminutive form Pot or Pott. It is from this form of Phillip that the surname Pott is derived. The personal name Phillip was popular thanks to the influence of St. Phillip, one of the twelve apostles of Christ. [1]

There is, however, another possible etymology, that better explains some instances of the name. Pott was an Old English word which meant hole or pit. It was sometimes used topographically to indicate residence near such a geographical feature. This makes this surname polygenetic; that is, derived from more than one source and having more than one initial bearer.

Early Origins of the Pott family

The surname Pott was first found in Hampshire where Godwin Pot was registered at Winton in 1115. Years later, Richard Pott was listed in the Liber Wintoniensis of Cambridgeshire c. 1150 and later again, Petronilla Potes was registered in the Court Rolls of Colchester in 1311, as was Roger Potte in 1352. [2]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the family was scattered throughout ancient Britain: Colin Pot in Lincolnshire; Richard Pot in Essex; Reginald Pot in Huntingdonshire; and William Pote in Norfolk. [1]

Richard de la Potte, Attepotte was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Sussex in 1221 and later in 1228; Gilbert atte Potte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Surrey in 1332; and Margaret atte Potte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. [2] Another source claims "Potts was the name of an old Northumbrian clan." [3]

And still father to the north in Scotland, "Richard Pott in Eskdaill was charged with the theft of four cows in 1513, and Thomas Pot in Reddene and Rafe (Ralph) Pott in Kelso are in record in 1567." [4]

The Poot and Poots variants are "now numerous in Ulster most of which, though not sufficiently well established to be classed as 'principal names' in the co-called census of 1659, were already to be found in that province at that time." This noted author goes on to cite the name as being ultimately of English origin. [5]

Early History of the Pott family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pott research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1592, 1605, 1612, 1618, 1640, 1641, 1644, 1648, 1660, 1673, 1675, 1686 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Pott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pott Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Pott has been spelled many different ways, including Potts, Pott, Pot, Poot and others.

Early Notables of the Pott family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Thomas Putt, 1st Baronet (1644-1686) of Combe in the County of Devon, Member of Parliament for Honiton; and his son Sir Thomas Putt, 2nd Baronet (c. 1675-1721); Sir William Pott of Norfolk; Sir Jo...
Thomas Potts (fl. 1612-1618), was the English author of the 'Discoverie of Witches.' He wrote the book after officiating at the trial of the famous Lancashire witches at Lancaster on 12 August, 1612...

Pott migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Potts to arrive in North America:

Pott Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Dr. John Pott, who arrived in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "George", he received a pardon in 1630 being the only Dr. in Virginia
Mrs. Elizabeth Pott, who arrived in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "George" [6]
Francis Pott, who landed in Maryland or Virginia in 1648 [6]
Lucretia Pott, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 [6]
Hattill Pott, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 [6]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pott Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Degenhart Pott, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1734 [6]
Johann Wilhelm Pott, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1734 [6]
Wilhelmus Pott, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1734 [6]
William Pott, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 [6]
Georg Pott, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 [6]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cath Pott, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 [6]
Frantz Pott, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 [6]
Gideon Pott, who landed in New York in 1810 [6]
John Pott, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1812 [6]
Sophia A Dorothea Pott, who arrived in America in 1846 [6]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pott migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pott Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Pott, a carpenter, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
William Kellow Pott, aged 22, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" [7]

Pott migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [8]

Pott Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. William Pott, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 [9]

Contemporary Notables of the name Pott (post 1700) +

John Francis Pott (b. 1935), American professional golfer
Joseph Holden Pott (1759-1847), English prelate, Archdeacon of London, son of Percivall Pott, the surgeon
Percivall Pott (1714-1788), English physician and surgeon, one of the founders of orthopedy
Fritz Pott (b. 1939), retired German football player and coach
August Friedrich Pott (1808-1887), German pioneer in linguistics
Francis Pott (b. 1957), British composer, pianist, senior academic and university administrator
John Pott, physician and Colonial Governor of Virginia at the Jamestown settlement in the Virginia Colony in the early 17th century

The Pott Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortis et astutus
Motto Translation: Bold and Crafty.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
South Australian Register Monday 1st January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Star Queen 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/starqueen1854.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm