Show ContentsLotter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Lotter

What does the name Lotter mean?

The Lotter surname is derived from a medieval given name of uncertain origins.

Early Origins of the Lotter family

The surname Lotter was first found in Kent where the Pipe Rolls of 1162 include and entry for Alwin Loth. Over one hundred years later, William Lot was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Suffolk. The same rolls included: John Lotte in Norfolk; and Andrew, John Lote in Cambridgeshire. The same John Lotte was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1317. Richard and William atte Lote were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332 and the Subsidy Rolls for Surrey in 1332. "There is no evidence for the early use of the Biblical Lot in England, but the first form may be this in its French form Loth which was common in Brittany." 1

Another source claims the name is for someone who was a "dweller on the apportioned share of land, i.e., the allotted land" 2 and another claims that it is an Anglo-Saxon name for "lote" meaning "crafty" or perhaps from the Anglo-Saxon "hlot", "a caster of lots, a fortune-teller." 3

Returning back to the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, we found: Richard filius Lote, Cambridgeshire; Robert Lote, Cambridgeshire; Walter Lotte, Cambridgeshire; William Lot, Suffolk; and John Lotte, Norfolk. 4

Early History of the Lotter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lotter research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Lotter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lotter Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lot, Lott, Loth, Lots and others.

Early Notables of the Lotter family

More information is included under the topic Early Lotter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lotter family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Benjamin Lothrop, who settled in Boston in 1634; Peter Lot, who came to New York, NY in 1652; John Lotte, who settled in Virginia sometime between 1663 and 1679.


Contemporary Notables of the name Lotter (post 1700) +

  • Wayne Lotter (1965-2017), South African wildlife conservationist, founder of the PAMS Foundation; he was shot dead on Wednesday 16 August 2017 while travelling in a taxi


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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