BOTT
Bott is a surname with a dual heritage, identifiable in both English and German contexts. In the English tradition the name has been traced back to the Middle English word bott, a term for a cask or barrel. Consequently the name was most likely adopted as an occupational identifier for craftsmen or merchants engaged in barrel making or trade.
In German, Bott is generally understood to be a variant of the surname Böttcher, itself a term for a cooper or barrel maker. The similarity of the two occupational associations reinforces the notion that the surname derives, in both traditions, from the craft of barrel manufacture.
The existence of the surname in England is documented as early as the Domesday Book of 1086, where the name appears as Aldred Bot in the entries for Kent. Subsequent documentary evidence includes the 1189 Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire, where Walter Botte is recorded, and the 1273 Hundred Rolls, which mention Walter le Botte. Such early references confirm the long-standing presence of the name in the British Isles.
Further archival material demonstrates the surname’s prevalence in several English counties. Church registers from London, Norfolk, Suffolk and Shropshire yield notable entries: the 1564 marriage of Elizabeth Bote to James Oxyenhouse at St. Mary’s, London; the 1566 wedding of Elizabeth Botte to Harry Bradfield in Catfield, Norfolk; and the 1592 christening of Sarah, daughter of George Bott, in Tasley, Shropshire.
A notable bearer of the name in the nineteenth century was Thomas Bott (1829–1870), who worked as a china painter with the Royal Porcelain Works in Worcester. His contributions to Worcester enamel earned him a prominent reputation within the field. Genealogical sources such as the Dictionary of National Biography recognise his artistic achievements.
The heraldic description associated with the Bott family records a gold shield bearing an ermine chevron between three black mullets pierced gold; the crest comprises a glove upon which sits a falcon in natural colour. Such particulars are typical of family coats of arms registered in official heraldic records.
Variant spellings of the surname are wide-ranging, reflecting linguistic adaptation over time. Observed forms include Bott, Bote, Botte, Bot, Botti, Botin, Bottle and Bottin. In the United States these variations appear under several spellings and in varied geographic concentrations, particularly in the Midwestern and Mid‑Atlantic states.
Although the surname is chiefly tied to England and German‑speaking countries, its usage extends to other parts of the world – notably to Canada, Switzerland, Austria and, to a lesser extent, regions such as Slovakia, Hungary, Norway and Sweden. Presently the name is listed as found in substantial numbers within Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with a recorded total of between thirty and fifty thousand individuals worldwide and an estimated three to five thousand in the United States alone.
Typical given names associated with the Bott surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Wendy
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bott in...
Braille
⠃⠕⠞⠞
Morse
-...-----
Semaphore
There are approximately 3,911 people named Bott in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,390th most common surname in Britain. Around 60 in a million people in Britain are named Bott.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bott
- Catherine Bott - Soprano
- Alan Bott - Flying ace (1893 to 1952)
- Mark Bott - Cricketer
- Wilf Bott - Football player (1907 to 1)
- Richard Bott - Skeleton racer (1900 to 1980)
- Olly Ashall-Bott -
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.