ROTTER
Rotter is a surname of German origin, historically derived from the Middle-High German word rotter, meaning a rat‑catcher or rat‑killer. As an occupational surname it would have been given to individuals skilled in catching or exterminating rats, or metaphorically, to someone considered cunning or shrewd.
Other explanations for the name stem from the Germanic root rot, meaning red, and from the Old German hrod, meaning renown. In this view, Rotter could have been an ethnic label for Anglo‑Saxon people of red hair, a topographical descriptor for a dweller near a wooded places called rod, or an occupational title for a musician playing a rote, an ancient stringed instrument. A further possibility is a locational reference to those living by the River Rother in Yorkshire. Another derivation relates to the French term routier, indicating a man of the road, a medieval bandit or highwayman.
In German the surname has also been associated with the term rotære, meaning counsellor or adviser to a king or nobleman. It may also refer to a wheelwright, a person who worked with a lathe, since rotære can imply a turner. In some dialects the word rotten, meaning to rot, was employed as a derogatory nickname suggesting a corrupt character, though this usage is less documented.
The name has many orthographic variants, including Reuter, Root, Roote, Rote, Roth, Rothe, Rother, Rothert, Roiter, Roter, Rotter, Rotheman, Rothman, Rothmann, Rottmann, Roitman, Reitman, Rutter and others. These variations reflect differing phonetic adaptations as the name travelled across Germany, the Netherlands, England, France, Poland, Lithuania, Italy and Spain.
The earliest documented use of the form Rotter is found in 1307 in the charters of the German town of Eblingen, where Marklin der Rotter is recorded. In England the surname occurs in the 14th century with names such as John Rotheman (1327) in the Essex tax rolls, and Adam Roth in the Colchester charters (1346).
Today the surname is most frequent in Germany, particularly in the Bavarian region, and in Jewish communities worldwide, especially those originating from Central and Eastern Europe. In the United States the name was brought by Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, Poland and other Eastern European countries in the late 19th century; it is most common in the states of New York, California, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In Britain it remains a rare surname, with records dating back to the 13th century but a limited modern presence.
Several notable families bearing the surname Rotter have been involved in industry, philanthropy and the arts. The Rotter Foundations – such as the A.S. Rotter Foundation and the Rotter Charitable Trust – are linked to a heritage of industrialists and philanthropists whose work has touched fields including architecture, charity and social causes.
Typical given names associated with the Rotter surname
Male
- John
- Tim
Female
- Jacqueline
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 Rotter in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 80 people named Rotter in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Rotter.
