Trott
An English surname with disputed origins, either a nickname from “dear/beloved” or a short form tied to Trotman and Trotter.
The #7,399 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,641 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Trott is historically linked to several possible sources. One line of explanation connects it with a Germanic root meaning “dear” or “beloved,” related to Middle High German traut and older forms such as Trot(e) or Trut. Another tradition treats it as a shortened form of Trotman or as related to Scottish trott, a mounted expedition or raid, which would make it a nickname associated with riding or border warfare.
History
19th-century surname writers disagreed about this name, and the evidence does not point to a single secure origin. It appears especially in English records, and one common explanation in older scholarship is that Trott and related forms like Trotter and Trotman were shaped by border and northern usage. In some areas, especially the West Country, Trott may also reflect local spelling variation from older forms such as Troyt.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley noted Trott as an example of how wildly spellings could vary before English spelling settled down.
From the historical record
“Trautmann, O.Ger. Trutman). TROTT (Teut.) the 14th cent. Trot(e, Trut, Trout, etc., 13th cent. Trot{e, Troyt, i2lh cent. Trote, Troite, Truite, A.-Sax. Trot(a (not common) = Beloved, Dear; Friend [Forms of the M.H.Ger. and O.H.Qer. trdt (subs, and adj.), dear, beloved, friend (Mod. Ger. traut) : cp. M.H.Ger.…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)