Bott
An English surname with several possible roots, most often explained as a shortened form of an old personal name or as a local name.
The #5,748 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,210 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Bott has been explained in more than one way by historical surname writers. One common line of explanation links it to early English personal names such as Bota or Botta, built on an old word meaning something like 'remedy,' 'atonement,' or 'compensation.' Other writers treated it as a local surname, perhaps from a place called Botte or from a form related to Booth, while one older source also allowed a possible link with German bote, 'messenger.'
History
Bott is recorded in medieval English sources in forms such as de Botta and Botte, showing that it was in use by the 13th and 14th centuries. Later surname scholars disagreed about whether the name was mainly patronymic from an old personal name or local in origin. Modern bearers are concentrated in English-speaking countries, with the name remaining relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname books even debated whether Bott might sometimes be connected with a word for a 'messenger,' showing how uncertain some surname origins can be.
From the historical record
“BOTT (Eng.) The A.-Sax. Bota, Botta, Bote are f. O.E. bdt — O.Sax. bdta, 'compensa- tion,' ' atonement,' ' remedy.' BRETTARGH [the second represents tlie O.N. element prob. horg-r = O.N.E.Aaf^,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)