Stotts
A Northern English surname most likely from Stott, a word for a young ox or a lively youngster, with the -s form probably meaning “son of Stott.”
The #7,030 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,863 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stotts is usually treated as a variant of Stott, a northern English nickname or byname. In Middle and Northern English, stot could mean a young bullock or ox, and by extension someone brisk, sturdy, or boisterous. The final -s is commonly a patronymic ending, so the name likely began as “Stott’s” or “son of Stott.”
History
The historical excerpts point to the name in northern England, especially Lancashire, Rochdale, Manchester, and nearby Yorkshire. Census-like local references show the Stott/Stotts family in the region from at least the 16th century, with later Manchester bearers appearing in civic records. The surname remains much less common than Stott, but it has followed the same broad northern distribution.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same word behind the surname also appears in old agricultural records as a term for cattle, including “stotts” among the livestock listed at northern estates.
From the historical record
“included * xx oxen, xii wedders, ix tappes, xxvi stotts ' : Whitaker's Craven, p. 403. ' '"* jles Stott, of the parish of R ^ills at Chester, ii. 209.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)