Recorded as Schott, Schotten, Schottner, Schottler, Schotteler, Schotter, and a patronymic in Schottli, this is a surname of pre 7th century Germanic origins. It has several possible meanings and origins. These include an occupational name for a gravel digger, although a more likely explanation is a dairyman or cheesemaker who share the same origin in "schott". Howver the name may also have been locational and in this case both national and ethnic and to have originally described a Scotsman! Locational names were very popular in the early days of the creation of surnames from about the 12th century a.d., and identifying a stranger, particularly a foreigner, could not have come much easier than to call such a person by the name of the country from which they came. With the same word spelling being used for a number of different meanings, it is easy to see how in later times confusion arose as to a person's true background and nationality. Possibly the very first known recording of the surname in any spelling in the German registers is that of Johannes Scotus of Dante in Holle, but given as being originally from Ireland. This was in 1232 a.d., when many Irish did flee the country after the takeover by the Norman-English in 1170. Another very early recording is that of Heidenrich Schotemann of Kassel in 1340.