This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the potter,' a maker of pots, vessels for cooking or drinking. A common entry in 13th century registers.

Michael le Potere, London, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John le Pottere, London, ibid.

Ranulph le Poter, Essex, ibid.

Nicholas le Potter, bailiff of Yarmouth, 1303: History of Norfolk.

1598. Robert Bruffe and Margaret Potter: Marriage Lic. (London).

From the occupation, a maker of pots (rendered "figulus, ollarius, plastes, vrnerius" in the Catholicon Anglicurn). Simon Potter of Dumbarton was one of those appointed to treat for the ransom of David 11 in 1357 (CDE., p. 20), Thomas Potter was a tenant of the earl of Douglas in Moffat, 1376 (RHM., I, p. lxiii), and Alexander Potter was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1498 (NSCM., I, p. 39). James Potter witnessed an instrument of sasine in Brechin, 1505 (REB., II, 149), Robert Potter was burgess of Arne, 1590 (Ayr, p. 116), and Henry Potter was retoured heir in lands in vill of Drumcrostoun, 1630 (Retours, Linlithgow), 124). Thomas Potter, a Scot, built a smelting work at Applebys Plads in 1769, thus taking a lead in the Danish iron-foundry industry.

Potter is a name of obvious derivation: it means simply a maker of pots. It appears in Dublin as le Peter in a number of cases in the thirteenth century. It was, however, not common in the mediaeval period, but from the sixteenth century on it became more numerous and is found now in all the four provinces. Judging by such tests as diocesan wills, Fiants, hearth money rolls, marriage licence bonds and other legal records it would appear that Counties Cork, Tipperary, Galway and Down are the parts of the country where the name is mainly found —-apart, of course, from the city of Dublin which is composed of people from all the provinces; but the frequent references in the Fiants to Potterstown in Co. Kildare indicated that the family was once well established there, though there is now no place so called in the townland and parish lists for Kildare or any other county.

Most notable people of the name have been English; but Thomas Joseph Potter (1828-1873),author and professor at All Hallows College, was Irish, and at the present day we have Archibald Potter, the distinguished composer, and Maureen Potter, the comedienne, to keep Potter prominent as an Irish name.

(English) Pot-Maker; Pot-Seller [Middle English poter(e, potter(e; Old English pott, a pot + the agential suff. -ere] The potter whom Robin Hood failed to despoil said that the ‘pottys’ which he was carting to Nottingham for sale there were worth ‘two nobellys’ (Roben Hode and the Potter).

‘Potter, a hawker of earthenware.’—Dial. of Lonsdale, p. 64.

This appears as le Poter in Dublin in the thirteenth century and is now found in small numbers in all the provinces. SIF 125

(English) One who made utensils of earthenware or metal.

Figulus-a maker of pots.

One who makes earthen vessels.

John, Raimond Potier, Normandy 1180-95 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); Cardois and Ralph P. 1198 (Ib.); Henry, John, Nicholas le Potere, Engl. c. 1272 (Rotuli Hundredorum). The term meant an apothecary or druggist.

From the Dutch, Potter, Potters; from the French, Poteau, Pottier; a personal name.

Potter: maker of common pots. The name remains both as Potter and Potts.

POTTER. —Mostly confined, in the first place, to the midlands, where it is especially characteristic of Derbyshire and Northamptonshire; and, in the second place, to the east coast counties between the Wash and the Thames, particularly in Essex and Norfolk. Not found in my list in the north of England, excluding the North and East Ridings, and absent or uncommon in the counties on the south coast.