Bittner
A German surname most likely related to Büttner, originally a term for a cooper or barrel maker.
The #3,870 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,695 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is generally treated as a variant of German Büttner, a word for a cooper or maker of tubs, barrels, and casks. In older German spelling and dialects, the initial vowel and consonant cluster could shift, producing forms such as Bittner, Böttner, and related spellings. The ultimate root is occupational rather than descriptive: it points to a trade, not a personal characteristic.
History
The surname is found in German-speaking areas and appears in regional spelling forms, especially in central and eastern Germany. The historical excerpt you provided explicitly notes Bittner as a variant or altered form of Büttner. Like many craft-based surnames, it likely became hereditary as family names stabilized in the late medieval and early modern periods.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because spelling was not standardized for centuries, one and the same family line could appear under several forms in old records, including Bittner, Büttner, and Böttner.
From the historical record
“lich Schietdendüvel „schieß den T." Bittenbinder HI. „Büttenbinder"'. Bittner s. Büttner. Blane I. ahd. planch, blanch, mhd. blanc (von blinken) „blank, weiß*'. FN. Blanchard: Blankart. Gen. Blankarts — umgedeut Blankertx,”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen