Jan 17
"Mud on its boots."
The surname Stott is a perfect example of a "descriptive" surname. Unlike patronymics (Johnson = John's Son) or locational names (Hill, Brook), Stott describes a characteristic.
In the medieval period, a "stott" was a steer or a young ox. As a nickname, it suggests someone who was either physically formidable (strong as an ox) or temperamentally difficult (stubborn).
The concentration of the name in the Borderlands (specifically Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the Scottish Borders) aligns perfectly with the history of the Border Reivers. These were the "Riding Families" who survived by raiding cattle back and forth across the volatile border. It is a name of utility, not nobility. It belongs to the people who did the work.
