Surname Pöthen - Meaning and Origin

Pöthen: What does the surname Pöthen mean?

The surname Pöthen is of German origin, and is thought to originate from a small town in the present-day German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is likely derived from the Old German word 'pozzen', meaning 'from the pond'. This indicates an ancestor or ancestors of the Pöthen family were probably land owners near a body of water.

The name is rare, but can be found in books, records, and other sources from the medieval and early modern periods. For example, a document from the city of Hanover from 1646 records a man named Henning Pöthen living in the area, and an early 18th century book lists the name of a Bernhard Pöthen from Hamburg.

In modern Germany, Pöthen is still quite a rare name, and those who bear it could be of distant relation to the original inhabitants of Pöthen. As a result, people with the surname Pöthen can take considerable pride in their ancestry and its unique heritage.

Pöthen: Where does the name Pöthen come from?

The last name Pöthen is found mostly in Germany today. Its origins can be traced back to a town called Pöthen, which was located in what is now the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district in Saxony-Anhalt. The surname was likely derived from the town's name and spread throughout the region over time.

The last name Pöthen can be seen throughout the general phonetic area of German, including the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and in regions like Alsace-Lorraine and Silesia. The name was also given to about 750 people in the United States between 1850-1930. Most of these immigrants were from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Outside of those phonetic areas, the last name is not very common. Products of immigration and assimilation usually resulted in name changes and the surname lost its recognizability outside of its originating region. While a few instances of the name Pöthen can be found in other countries, it is still mainly localized to Germany today.

Variations of the surname Pöthen

The surname Pöthen has numerous variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Some of the most common are Pohthen, Pohthenn, Patton, Potheen, Puett, Potheny, Pethan, and Pettin. These alternate spellings are commonly found in records of German, English, American, and Irish origin.

The numerous spelling variations of the Pöthen surname stem from the fact that medieval scribes spelled words and names as they sounded, rather than by any set of established rules. So, all of the variant spellings are technically correct, and some families prefer one spelling variation to another. For example, some families use the Potheen spelling in America, while others may prefer the Potheny spelling in England.

Pöthen can also be found spelled as Pahtin, Pathten, Pathtenn, Patton, Petin, Pethin, Puetten, Petting, Puettin, Putten and Puttin. Additional spelling variations include: Pöding, and Pössling, found in records of German origin.

The origin of the Pöthen surname is said to be derived from a place originally known as "the thal (valley) of pothe," near the town of Meinhard, located in present-day Austria and the borders of Germany and Switzerland. Additionally, many of the bearers of the Pöthen surname are believed to be descendants of a noble family, descended from the noble house of Puttkamer, which had its seat in the city of Ratzeburg, in the present day Schleswig-Holstein.

In conclusion, the numerous spelling variations of the Pöthen surname have their origin in the fact that medieval scribes spelled words and names as they sounded rather than by any set of established rules. Furthermore, some of the bearers of the Pöthen surname may be descendants of a noble family, descended from the noble house of Puttkamer.

Famous people with the name Pöthen

• Siegmar Pöthen: German Infertility expert.
• Martin Pöthen: German lawyer and Founding Partner at CMS Hasche Carlsberg.
• Christian Pöthen: German Astronomer at Hamburg-Bergedorf Observatory.
• Rudolph Pöthen: German businessperson who served as Chairman of the Board at Deutsche Boerse.
• Alfred Pöthen: German film actor and radio speaker.
• Ulf Pöthen: German architect andbergstift.
• Wolfgang Pöthen: German physics professor at Stuttgart University.
• Gottfried Pöthen: German businessperson who founded the Gottfried Pöthen digitization company.
• Hans Pöthen: German stage and film actor.
• Eugene von Pöthen: German psychotherapist and German professor at RWTH Aachen University.

Other surnames

Pothe