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There is every indication that Pottruff is an alteration of Pottorff - both are found in Pennsylvania in the 1800s - and that the latter is itself an alteration of the German name Batdorf as shown at http://tr.im/tg4J. Batdorf comes from a placename (Dorf means 'village') which has yet to be located as indicated at http://www.ancestry.com/facts/batdorf-name-meaning.ashx.
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The above message is wrong.
While the Pottruff name first originated in Pennsylvania (around the 1800's), you'll find the bulk of "Pottruff's" are living in southern Ontario (and in particularly Hamilton). There's even a street named Pottruff in the city.
I did a lot of research looking through family records going back more than 150 years. Also have a few family members that preserved several records (as does the city of Hamilton). The name is of english origin comming from "Potter" and "Woodruff" (or Potter-Woodruff). For many of years the name was hyphenated until one of our relatives decided to "merge" the names into "Pottruff".
To test this hypothesis, try finding "Pottruff's" in any other country (i.e. Germany, England, wherever). What you'll find is that the name is unique to Canada and the US. If the name was of German heritage, you should find alot of "Pottruff" in this country (name comes up empty). However Potter and Woodruff are very prolific in the UK.
Hope this helps.
While the Pottruff name first originated in Pennsylvania (around the 1800's), you'll find the bulk of "Pottruff's" are living in southern Ontario (and in particularly Hamilton). There's even a street named Pottruff in the city.
I did a lot of research looking through family records going back more than 150 years. Also have a few family members that preserved several records (as does the city of Hamilton). The name is of english origin comming from "Potter" and "Woodruff" (or Potter-Woodruff). For many of years the name was hyphenated until one of our relatives decided to "merge" the names into "Pottruff".
To test this hypothesis, try finding "Pottruff's" in any other country (i.e. Germany, England, wherever). What you'll find is that the name is unique to Canada and the US. If the name was of German heritage, you should find alot of "Pottruff" in this country (name comes up empty). However Potter and Woodruff are very prolific in the UK.
Hope this helps.
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Thank you!
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