Origin
Potter : 1: English and Dutch; North German (Pötter): occupational name for a maker of drinking and storage vessels from an agent derivative of Middle English Middle Low German pot. In the Middle Ages the term covered workers in metal as well as earthenware and clay.2: In some cases also an Americanized form (translation into English) of Croatian Serbian and Slovenian Lončar ‘potter’ (see Loncar) and probably also of cognates from some other languages e.g. Czech Hrnčíř (see Hrncir).
Aul : German:: 1: variant of the North German personal name Ohl a short form of Aul(e)rich modern Ulrich.2: altered form of the northwestern German byname Ahl which may stem from a word meaning ‘eel’ (modern German Aal) or from one denoting the shoemaker's awl (see Ahl).3: variant of Auel a metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle High German ûle ‘pot’ (related to Latin olla).
Cane : 1: English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Caen in Calvados (France). See also Cain and Cam.2: English: from a Middle English survival of the Old English personal name Cana which is probably of ancient Germanic origin.3: English: nickname for a tall thin man from Middle English Old French cane ‘cane reed’ (from Latin canna). It may also be a metonymic occupational name for someone who gathered reeds which were widely used in the Middle Ages as a floor covering as roofing material and for weaving small baskets.4: Irish (Mayo) and Scottish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Catháin or Mac Catháin see Kane.5: Italian (northern; Canè): habitational name from a place caled Canè in Brescia.6: Italian (southern; Canè): occupational name for a basket maker or the like from Greek kanna ‘reed’ + the occupational suffix -(e)as.7: French: from a Norman and Picard variant of chane a term denoting a particular type of elongated pitcher (ultimately from Latin canna ‘reed’) hence possibly a metonymic occupational name for a potter who specialized in making such jugs or a nickname for someone who resembled one.8: French (Cané): topographic name from Gascon caner from Latin canna ‘reed’.9: Albanian: from Cane a vernacular short form of the Muslim personal name Hasan.10: Americanized form of an unidentified German surname most likely Köhn (see Kohn). Compare Kane.
Cannata : Italian (Sicily and southern Calabria; also Cannatà): occupational name for a potter or a water carrier either from cannata ‘pitcher jug’ which is from medieval Greek kanata or from the medieval Greek occupational name derived from this kanatās ‘potter’.
Cerami : Italian (southern):: 1: from Greek keramion ‘ceramic terracotta pot’ or keramis ‘brick tile’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a potter tile or brick maker a metonymic occupational name for a tiler or a nickname for a tough individual.2: alternatively a habitational name from a place so named in Enna province.
Crigler : Americanized form of German Kriegler a nickname for a quarrelsome person from an agent derivative of Middle High German kriegen ‘to quarrel to dispute’ or an occupational name for an innkeeper or potter a variant of Krüger (see Krueger).
Crock : 1: Americanized form of German Krock.2: English: perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle English crok(ke) ‘earthen pot pitcher’ (Old English croc crocca). Compare Crocker.
Crocker : 1: English (southwestern): occupational name for a potter from Middle English crockere an agent derivative of Middle English crok(ke) ‘pot’ (Old English croc croc(ca)).2: English (of Norman origin): variant of Craker.3: Americanized form of German Krocker.
Degler : German: occupational name for a potter from an agent derivative of Low German degel ‘(earthenware) pot’ (from Latin tegula ‘tile’).
Depner : German: possibly a habitational name for someone from a place called Depenau in Schleswig-Holstein (from Middle Low German deep ‘deep low’ + owe ‘low-lying field’). Alternatively a variant of Deppner or Döppner an occupational name for a potter (in west central Germany) from an agent derivative of Middle High German düpfen tüp(p)en ‘to make pots’.
Depperschmidt : German: occupational name for a blacksmith who made metal pots (as opposed to a potter who made clay pots) from a variant of Middle Low German döpper ‘potter’ + Schmied ‘smith’.
Diegel : German:: 1: metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle High German tegel tigel ‘pot’ (from Latin tegula ‘tile’).2: from a pet form of Dick 4.
Doepke : North German (Döpke):: 1: from a variant of Depke a Low German pet form of the personal names Detmar (see Dittmar) and Theobald.2: metonymic occupational name for a potter from a diminutive of Low German doppe duppe ‘beaker jar’. Compare Dopke and Dopp.
Euler : 1: German: occupational name for a potter (most common in the Rhineland and Hesse) from Middle High German ūl(n)ære (an agent derivative of the dialect word ūl aul ‘pot’ from Latin olla) German Euler.2: Swiss German: topographic name from a diminutive of German Au ‘(small) wet field’. Compare Oyler and also Ayler.
Fazekas : Hungarian: occupational name for a potter fazekas from fazék ‘pot’.
Goncharov : Russian Belorussian and Jewish (from Belarus): patronymic from Russian gonchar an occupational name for a potter. It is formed with the Slavic possessive suffix -ov.
Haaf : 1: North German: variant of Haff.2: South German and Swiss German: metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle High German hafen ‘pot’.
Haefele : South German (Häfele): metonymic occupational name for a potter from a diminutive of Middle High German hafen ‘pot’.
Haefeli : Swiss German (also Häfeli): metonymic occupational name for a potter from a diminutive of Middle High German hafen ‘pot’.
Hafen : South German: metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle High German hafen ‘pot’.
Hafler : South German (Häfler): occupational name for a potter. Compare Hafner.
Hafner : 1: South German (also Häfner): occupational name for a potter Middle High German hafner an agent derivative of Middle High German hafen ‘pot dish’. This is the normal term for the occupation in southeastern Germany and Austria and the German surname is found mainly in this area. Compare Haefner and Haffner.2: Slovenian: occupational name for a potter of German origin (see above) often applied as a translation into German of the corresponding Slovenian surname Lončar (see Loncar).
Hanworth : from Cold Hanworth or Potter Hanworth (both Lincs) or Hanworth (Norfolk). The Lincs place-names both recorded as Haneworde in 1086 derive from the Old English personal name Hana + Old English worð ‘enclosure’. The Norfolk place-name is recorded as Haganaworda in 1086 and derives from the Old English personal name Hagena + Old English worð. The early bearers can be difficult to distinguish from those for Hainsworth.
Heffner : South German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a potter (see Hafner).
Hefley : Probably an Americanized form of Swiss German Haefely or Häfeli (see Haefeli) or South German Häffele or Hefele (see Haefele) all metonymic occupational names for a potter.
Hefner : German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a potter (see Hafner).
Hlinka : Czech and Slovak: occupational name for someone who worked with clay a potter or brickmaker (also a plasterer) from a diminutive of Czech hlína or Slovak hlina ‘clay earth’. This surname is also found among Rusyns (in Slovakia).
Kachel : German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle High German kachel ‘pot earthenware vessel’. The surname is common in the Alemannic and Swabian regions. The modern German sense ‘glazed tile’ is a fairly recent development and probably has not contributed to the surname. Compare Euler Hafner and Töpfer (see Toepfer).
Kackley : Probably an Americanized form of German Kächele Kachler or Kächler occupational names for a potter from Middle High German kachel ‘pot earthenware vessel’ + the agent suffix -er (see Kachel).
Kalfas : 1: Greek: status name for an apprentice from Greek kalfas and this from Turkish kalfa ‘experienced apprentice’ e.g. ‘assistant architect’.2: Czech: from kalfas ‘large pot’ presumably a metonymic occupational name for a potter or perhaps a nickname for someone with a pot belly.
Kan : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 闞 meaning ‘overlook’ in ancient Chinese: habitational name from the placename Kan (阚) the name of a fief (located in present-day Wenshang in Shandong province) granted to Zhi an official in the state of Qi (located mainly in present-day Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).2: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 簡 see Jian 1.3: Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 甘 and 干 see Gan 1 and 2.4: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 靳 see Jin 2.5: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄞 see Yin 6.6: Cambodian: written កាន់ from a Khmer word meaning ‘to hold something’.7: Turkish: ornamental name from kan ‘descent family’.8: Czech (Káň): from kanit meaning ‘to slobber or slaver’ and by extension ‘to gossip’ hence a nickname for a gossip.9: Czech: variant of Káňa (see Kana) a nickname meaning ‘buzzard’.10: North German: variant of Kahn. This surname is very rare in Germany.11: Dutch: from Middle Dutch kan(ne) can(ne) ‘tankard flagon pitcher’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such vessels: potter or a pewterer.12: In some cases possibly also an American shortened form of Dutch Van Kan: habitational name for someone from Kanne in Belgian Limburg.13: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Cohen.
Keckler : Altered form of German Kechler an occupational name for a potter from an agent derivative of Middle High German kachel ‘clay pot tile’. Later it came to denote a stove fitter who built the typical Bavarian and Austrian tile stoves.
Kilner : English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): occupational name for a potter or lime burner from an agent derivative of Middle English kilne ‘kiln oven furnace’ (Old English cylen).
Konvicka : Czech (Konvička): metonymic occupational name for a potter from konvička ‘jug’ a derivative of konvice ‘pot’.
Kriegel : 1: South German: from a diminutive of Krieg 2.2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a potter from Yiddish krigl ‘small jug’. Compare Krug 1.
Kroes : Dutch and North German:: 1: metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle Dutch croes(e) cruese ‘stone jar drinking vessel’.2: nickname for someone with curly hair from Middle Dutch croes ‘curly crinkly’. Compare Croes Kroese and Kroos.
Kruzel : Polish (Krużel): metonymic occupational name for a potter from krużel ‘small clay utensil pot’.
Kupper : 1: German (Küpper): Rhenish dialect variant of Kuper 1.2: German: central variant of Kupfer.3: German: topographic name from Kuppe ‘hill elevation’.4: Swiss German: occupational name for a potter from an agent derivative of Romansh cuppa ‘bowl dish’.5: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Kuper.
Lettner : German: occupational name for a potter derived from Middle High German lette ‘clay loam clayey soil’ or alternatively a topographic name for someone living near or on clay soil.
Nappo : Italian (southern):: 1: perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a potter from Calabrian nappo denoting a type of cup.2: variant of Nappa.
Ohler : German:: 1: (also Öhler): occupational name for an extractor or seller of culinary oil or for a soap maker from Middle High German öler an agent derivative of öl ol ‘oil’ from Latin oleum ‘(olive) oil’.2: in some western parts of Germany an occupational name for a potter Middle High German ollære from Latin ollarius ‘potter’ from olla ‘pot’.3: (Öhler): patronymic from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with ōd ‘possession’.
Oller : 1: German (Öller): variant of Öhler (see Ohler) or of Euler.2: Catalan: occupational name for a potter oller (from Late Latin ollarius from olla ‘pot’).
Palka : 1: Polish (Pałka) and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic; also Pałka): from Polish pałka ‘truncheon club’ used as a nickname applied either to a thin or stiff person or to one who used a truncheon as a weapon.2: Slovak (mainly Pálka): from páľka ‘quantity of products fired at one time’ or ‘burning pottery products in the furnace’ probably used as a metonymic occupational name (for a potter).
Pichette : Americanized form of French Pichet: from Old French pichet ‘(measuring) pot’ used as a nickname (metonymic occupational name) for a potter or a measurer. Altered ending reflects the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t.
Pichon : 5: French: habitational name from (Le) Pichon the name of several places in various parts of France.1: French: from a diminutive of Old French pic ‘pick’ (see Picon).2: French: metonymic occupational name for a potter from pichon ‘jug pitcher’.3: French: nickname from pichon ‘little’.4: French: southern variant of Pigeon ‘fledgling squab’.6: Spanish (Pichón): nickname from a term of endearment pichón ‘little dove’.
Pignataro : Italian (southern):: 1: habitational name from Pignataro Interamna in Frosinone or Pignataro Maggiore in Caserta.2: occupational name for a potter from an agent derivative of pignat(t)a ‘pot’.
Pignatelli : Italian (southern): patronymic or plural form of Pignatello from a diminutive of pignat(t)a ‘pot’ applied as a nickname for a potter or for a rotund person.
Pignato : Italian (Sicily): from Sicilian pignatu ‘pot’ applied as a metonymic occupational name for a potter or as a nickname for a corpulent person.
Pot : 1: French and Walloon: from the personal name Pot an Old French short form of Philipot itself a pet form of Philip.2: French and Walloon: metonymic occupational name for a potter from pot ‘pot’.3: Flemish and Dutch: variant of Pott 3.4: Dutch (Van der Pot): topographic name for someone living on a low-lying plot from Low German dialect pōt ‘puddle’.5: English: very rare variant of Pott including as a cognate of 1 above.6: Cambodian: written ពត unexplained.
Potman : from the Middle English given name Poteman a pet form of Philipot (a diminutive of Philip) with the hypocoristic suffix -man. See Pott Potkin and Philpott and compare Richard Potemay (‘kinsman of Pot’) 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Exceat in Westdean Sussex). Potman was introduced after the Norman Conquest probably by Flemings who used -man as a hypocoristic suffix. Compare Bateman Hickman Human and Pateman.for a potter from Middle English pot potte (see Pott) + man synonymous with Potter. Stephen Poteman 1296 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Brede Sussex) could be the same man as Stephen Potter taxed in the same place in the 1332 subsidy along with Alan Poteman but the forename Stephen is common and may belong to a different man.perhaps for someone who lived by a hole or pit from Middle English pot potte (see Pott) + man. The surnames atte Potte and Poteman occur in E Sussex villages in the late 13th and early 14th centuries but evidence to prove their synonymity is lacking.
Pott : 1: English: from the personal name Pot an Old French pet form of Philipot (see Philpott) itself a pet form of Philip.2: English: topographic name for someone who lived by a depression in the ground from Middle English pot potte ‘pot’ used in this transferred sense or a habitational name from one of the minor places deriving their name from this word in the sense ‘pit hole’.3: English North German (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle English Middle Low German pot ‘pot’. See also Potter.4: English: occasionally a nickname from Middle English pot potte (Old English pot) ‘pot container’ possibly for someone who was pot-bellied.5: North German: topographic name for someone living on a low-lying plot from Low German dialect pōt ‘puddle’.
Potters : 1: Dutch: patronymic for the son of a potter (see Potter).2: English: variant of Potter with post-medieval excrescent -s.
Scheibe : German:: 1: topographic name from Middle High German schībe ‘disk sphere wheel’ commonly used as a field name.2: metonymic occupational name for a craftsman who uses or produces disk(s) or wheel(s) like a potter carpenter or glazier from the same word as 1 above.3: habitational name from any of the places called Scheibe or Scheiben.
Scherb : South German: metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle High German scherbe ‘pot potsherd’.
Steinkraus : North German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle Low German stēn ‘stone(ware)’ + krōs krūs ‘jug’ German Stein + Krauss hence a metonymic occupational name for a potter or an occupational name for an innkeeper.
Thon : 1: German: from a shortened form of the personal name Ant(h)on (see Anthony).2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a potter from German Ton Polish ton ‘clay potter's earth’.3: Norwegian: variant of Thoen.4: Chinese: Hakka form of the surname 段 see Duan 1.
Tiano : 1: Italian (southern): metonymic occupational name for a potter from a shortened form of tigano a southern dialect term meaning ‘saucepan’.2: Jewish (from the Ottoman Empire): probably a habitational name from Teano in Italy near Caserta in Campania.
Top : 1: Dutch and German: from Middle Dutch top Middle Low German topp ‘crown of the head plait lock of hair’ hence a nickname referring to a feature of someone's head perhaps baldness or a particular hairstyle.2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a potter from Yiddish top ‘pot’.3: English: variant of Topp.
Topf : German: metonymic occupational name for a potter from Middle High German topf(e) ‘pot’.
Toupin : French (mainly Brittany also Normandy):: 1: nickname from Old French toupin ‘spinning-top’.2: in rare instances in the south probably from Old Occitan toupin ‘small earthenware pot’ used as a metonymic occupational name for a potter.
Tupper : 2: English: variant of Topper.1: German (Tüpper; North Rhine-Westphalia): occupational name for a potter from Middle Low German duppe Rhenish düppen ‘pot’. This surname is very rare in Germany.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
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