Surname Potthas - Meaning and Origin
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Potthas: What does the surname Potthas mean?
The last name Potthas is a German or Dutch word derived from the Latin word “puta” which means “pond”. Potthas is a toponymic name meaning someone who lives near or on a pond. It may also have been an occupational name for someone who worked around the pond such as a fisherman or one who harvested crops that grew near the pond such as watercress or reeds.
The earliest recorded spelling of the last name Potthas is in 1276 when Johannes de Puthe was mentioned in the noble family of Stahleck in Bavaria. In the early 1600s, the name was recorded in the chronicles of Brandenburg, Germany when Franz Godard Potthe was noted as a judge.
The name Potthas exists in various forms around the world including Potthast, Pott, Pottas and Potthoff. These variations likely occurred because of the diverse local dialects and the passage of time causing name changes.
Today the last name Potthas is not a common one, however, there are still Potthas families living in Germany, The Netherlands, and the US. In these places they are typically thought of as skilled craftsmen, professional experts, or affluent business owners.
Order DNA origin analysisPotthas: Where does the name Potthas come from?
The last name Potthas is commonly found in regions near the Baltic sea, such as Germany, Poland, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia. It is believed to have been derived from the old Germanic personal name Potthaus, which was used to denote a person living at an estate or potthouse.
The first recorded mention of the Potthas family name is in the 13th century in Germany, when a family bearing the name lived in the Lippe region of Germany. During the medieval period, many people from this area migrated to other parts of Europe, including Poland, Russia and the Baltic states.
Today, the Potthas surname is most commonly found in eastern Europe. There were 6 families with the surname Potthas in the United States in 2020, suggesting a small but steady presence in the country. It is also sometimes found in England, France and Spain.
The Potthas surname has kept its traditional spelling over the centuries, with only slight variations seen in the spelling of the name. The Potthas name is rare but still found in certain parts of Europe, with the highest concentrations near the Baltic Sea.
Variations of the surname Potthas
The surname Potthas is a variant of the German surname Potthast. The surnames are derived from a Middle High German word meaning “potager” or “country garden.” The variant spellings and surnames of Potthas include Potthast, Pothast, Pothast, Pottahast, Potthastel, Pothas, Pothess, Potheis, Polar, Pothelz, Pottheiss, Pottel, and Potted.
Potthast is one of the more common of the variants and is found in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States, and Switzerland.
Potthast is also spelled as Pothast. This is a Dutch variant, which is mostly common in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the United States.
The variant Potthastel is found mainly in Germany.
Pothas is a German variant which is mostly seen in northern Germany.
Pothess is an alternate spelling of the Potthas surname, which is used in Austria and Germany.
Potheis is a derivative, which is mostly found in Germany.
Polar is a variant of the Potthast name, which is mainly found in the United States and Germany.
Pothelz is an alternate spelling, which is mainly found in Germany.
Pottheiss is a variant spelling of Potthas, which is common mainly in Austria and Germany.
Pottel is a variant spelling of Potthas, which is found mainly in Germany.
Lastly, Potted is a German variant of the surname Potthas.
Famous people with the name Potthas
- Max Potthast, a German track and field athlete
- Elizabeth Potthast, a cast member on the show “90 Day Fiancé”
- Oskar Alexander Potthast, a German composer
- Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried Potthast, a German historian
- Alexander Potthast, a German artist
- Peter Potthast, a German screenwriter
- Christian Potthast, a German sociologist
- Amalie Potthast, a German stage actress
- Georg Adolf Potthast, a German painter
- Heinrich Potthas, a German theologian