This is claimed to be a Northern English form of the surname "Pottinger", an occupational name for the maker or seller in medieval times of a special thick soup or broth. The derivation is from the Olde French "potage", a word introduced into England after the 1066 Norman Invasion. For many centuries "pottage" was a popular dish thoughout England. Initially the surname was spelt without the intrusive 'n' (see the first recorded spelling below), but with the change from Olde English and the official French in the 13th century to Middle English the "n" was proably added as an aid to pronunciation. Early examples of the name recording taken from authentic records and charts of the period include John le Potagyer of Somerset in the year 1273, and Simon Pottinger, in the Oxford University Register of 1575. Church registers recordings include such examples as Anne Potenger, married at St Georges chapel, Hanover Square, London, in 1776, and John Pettinger, who married Sarah Holmes Foster at the same church in 1805. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Walter le Potagier. which was dated 1300, in the Court Rolls for the city of London, during the reign of King Edward 1st. He was known by the nickname of " The Hammer of the Scots", and reigned from 1272 to 1307. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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