This interesting name is a medieval job description which derives from the Olde English "Stott" (Cattle) or horses. There are many variant spellings which derive from local dialects, these include Stather, Stother, Stutter and Stoter or Stothard, Stothart and Stothert but all have the same meaning and origin. The first recorded spelling in any variant is probably John Le Stothirde, the other name developments include the following James Stoter christened at St. Pauls, Deptford, Kent on December 3rd 1786 and Mary Stotter who married William Pool at St. Martins in the Field, Westminster, on May 9th 1802. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Stother, which was dated 1605, who was christened at St. Mary at the Quay, Ipswich, during the reign of King James 1, of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.