Rotter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German state of Bavaria is the ancestral home of the Rotter family. Nickname surnames, such as Rotter, were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The family name Rotter is a name for a person associated with the color red. The name comes from the Old German word "rot," meaning "red," and could have indicated that its bearer had red hair or a red beard, lived in a red house, or often dressed in red clothes.

Early Origins of the Rotter family

The surname Rotter was first found in Bavaria, where the name could be considered to have made a great contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of modern Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, with each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention the brothers Jeckel and Tilke Rote of Breslau in 1350, and Merklin der Rotter of Esslingen in 1307. Literally the name meant "red-haired" or "red-bearded," thus the oldest variation was possibly "Rothbart."

Early History of the Rotter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rotter research. Another 274 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1245, 1288, 1300, 1360, 1434, 1552, 1620, 1653, 1668, 1700 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Rotter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rotter Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Rotter include Rothe, Rote, Rot, Roth (southern Germany), Roter, Rother (Silesia), Rothe, Rothbart and many more.

Early Notables of the Rotter family

Prominent among members of the name Rotter in this period include Johannes Rothe (1360-1434), a Thuringian priest who wrote instructional works on chivalry and heraldry and a history...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rotter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rotter Ranking

In the United States, the name Rotter is the 18,473^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Rotter migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Rotters to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Rotter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Herick Rotter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1747 2
Johan Casper Rotter, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 2
Elias Rotter, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1755 2
Johannes Rotter, who settled in Philadelphia in 1763

Rotter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. J. Rotter, (b. 1805), aged 36, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Rotter (post 1700) +

Julian Rotter (b. 1916), American psychologist
Harriet Rotter, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 18th District, 1972 4
Greg Rotter, American Republican politician, Chair of Cheboygan County Republican Party, 2007 4
Emilia Rotter (1906-2003), Hungarian pairs figure skater
Ariel Rotter (b. 1973), Argentine film director and screenwriter

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html