Surname Watterott - Meaning and Origin
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Watterott: What does the surname Watterott mean?
The surname Watterott is a German name, derived from a word combination. The first element of the name is 'watte,' which means 'cotton' or 'batting.' The second element, 'rot,' means 'red.' Thus, the surname Watterott literally translates to 'red cotton' in English.
Historically, the surname is believed to be an occupational name, referring to people who worked with cotton. This could include cloth weavers and dyers, or even people who made and sold batting stuffing, such as in mattresses. Alternatively, it could refer to people who simply harvested or traded cotton in some capacity.
It is not known when the Watterott surname first appeared. However, records of people bearing this name date back to the mid-17th century. During this time, members of the Watterott family were found in various German states. Later, members of the family spread out and can be found throughout the world today.
Though the Watterott surname has been used for centuries, it is still quite uncommon. Therefore, someone bearing the Watterott name can be proud to know they likely come from a small but fascinating family history.
Order DNA origin analysisWatterott: Where does the name Watterott come from?
The last name Watterott is most common in Germany. The name originated from the Low German word "Watter/Water" meaning "watchman" and the term "ott" often indicated affiliation to a larger house or clan. The earliest records of the name date back to 1618 in the area of what is now East Frisia, Germany.
Today, the surname Watterott is spread across Germany and is most commonly found in the northern side of the country. It is particularly frequent in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Bavaria.
Outside of Germany, the last name Watterott is less common but can still be seen in the Netherlands, as well as other parts of Europe. Those living in the United States are likely to find fewer Watterotts, but some of the name has spread to North America and Latin America.
The last name Watterott may also be seen in various other countries in small pockets of people since there are many different spellings of the name.
Overall, the last name Watterott is most commonly found in Germany and several countries in Europe, but it can also be seen in North America, Latin America, and even Australia in much smaller numbers.
Variations of the surname Watterott
The surname Watterott has a few variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Watrott, Watrot, Watroh, Watteroht, Wattrecht, Watteroth, Watterotht, Wattrott, Wattreth and Wateroth.
Watterott is a German name, which was derived from a personal name composed of the Old High German elements wato or watto (battle) and roht (courageous and bold). It was common in medieval German and used to describe persons of strong courage and brave in battle. In the 16th century, it was eventually adopted as a surname.
Watrott is the oldest variant of the surname and is also the most common in Germany, where it is still in use. The variant Wateroth is the most common in the United States and is commonly found among Americans of German descent. Some other related spellings, including Watroh, Watteroht, Wattrecht, Watteroth, Watterotht, Wattrott, and Wattreth, are more commonly seen in the United States, often among the descendants of immigrants from Germany.
Finally, Watrot is not as common as the others, but it has been known to appear in records, particularly among German immigrants in America. All of these surnames bear the same origin and can trace their roots back to the original modern German surname, Watterott.
Famous people with the name Watterott
- Friederich Watterott: German mayor and first member of the Reichstag for the German Democratic Party.
- Rudolf Watterott: German World War II veteran and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
- Carl Watterott: German lawyer and suffragist in the late 19th century.
- Heinrich Watterott: German sculptor from the late 19th century.
- Ferdinand Watterott: German military engineer and founder of the royal military academy in Podebrady.
- Georg Watterott: German physicist and founder of the Institute of Applied Physics in Bonn.
- Karl Justus Watterott: German general and Army Group Commander during World War II.
- Camillo Watterott: German sociologist and author of several books on contemporary politics.
- Theodor Watterott: Austrian composer who wrote the choral work “The Last Seaman” for the 1944 London Philharmonic.
- Wilhelm Watterott: German entomologist who specialized in butterfly and moths.