Boettcher Surname - German word for Cooper (barrel maker)




A cooper, 13th Century stained glass,
Chartres Cathedral



The basic term today for Cooper in German is Böttcher. Coopers produce wooden vessels  Use of these terms is typically based on the region as follows:

which have to bound together with staves.

• Northern Germany:  Bädeker, Baedeker, Böde(c)ker, Bödiker, Böttger
• Northern and East Central Germany:  Böttcher
• Franken, Böhmen, Schlesien, Sachsen, Thüringen, Hessen:  Büttner
• Northwestern Germany: Küpper
• Rheinland:  Fassbender
• From Southwest to Southeast:  Kiefer,Küf(n)er, Schäffler, Binder, Binter

Many different terms evolved regionally, most of them derived from the different words for the vessels they made:


• a) terms borrowed from Bode (barrel): Bätjer, Bettcher, Betcher, Betger, Bettger, Bettker, Betker, Bädeker, Bädker, Bättger, Bättcher, Bitger, Boddeck, Boddek, Boddeker, Böddecker, Böddeker, Bödeker, Bödecker, Böddicker, Bödiker, Bödicker, Bodniker, Böker, Böcker, Bottiger, Bottner, Bötjer, Bötger, Böttcher, Bötticher, Böttiger, Böttger, Böttner, Böttjer, Böttker, Kleinböttcher, Buddiger;
• b) terms with Tonne (ton): Tonnenbinder, Tonnenmacher, Tunnenmaker;
• c) terms borrowed from cupa (Latin for barrel, partly introduced to Germany from the Netherlands as cuyper, cuper): Kuper, Küper, Küppenbender, Küpper, Küppers, Cuiper, Cuyper, Kuiper, Kuyper, Keifer, Keiffer, Kiefer, Kieffer, Kiefner, Küfer, Kuffer, Kufer, Küfler, Küffner, Küfner, Kaufner;
• c) terms borrowed from Fass, the recent term for barrel: Fassbender, Faßbinder, Faßhauer, Faßmann, Faßschlupfer, Fäßler, Fassler, Fässer, Fasser, Fathauer, Fatheuer, Fatmann, Fatthauer, Fattmann, Fatmoker, Vathauer, Vatheuer, Vatthauer, Vattmann, Feßler, Fätteker;
• d) terms borrowed from Schaff, an old High German word for barrel and Schedel, another old word for barrel: Schaffler, Schäffler, Schäfler, Schaffmacher, Scheffler, Schöffler, Schädler, Schedler, Bindschedler;

• e) terms for cooper producing small barrels also mainly derived from different terms for the vessel: Becherer, Bechermacher, Bekerer, Bekemacher, Bekemaker, Bekerwerker, Bekewert (from Becher - cup); Bödenmeker, Büddenbender, Büdeker, Bütenbender, Butgenmaker, Buttgenmaker, Bütmacher, Bütner, Büttemacher, Büttenmacher, Büttenmaker, Büttekenmaker, Büttenbinder, Butticher, Büttichenbinder, Büttger, Büttler, Büttner, Püttner, Pütner, Puttner, Putner, Bittner, Pittner, Weißbüttner (from Bütte = vessel in form of a tub); Kiebler, Kibler, Kübler (from Kübel = bucket, pail); Lägeler, Lägler, Lägelner, Legeler, Legler (from Lägel - small barrel);
• f) often the occupation term includes -binder (a person who binds something), like Altbinder, Fassbinder, Tonnenbinder or Büttenbinder; this terms are sometimes reduced to Binder: Bender, Binder, Pinder, Pinter, Grobbinder, Kleinbinder, Rotbinder, Weißbinder;
• g) other terms for cooper: Bennenmacher, Benner, Biener, Bitschenmacher, Holzbitschenmacher, Becharius, Banzenmacher, Bareler, Beckenmacher, Einleger, Imiträger, Kümmer, Kümper, Royer, Stünschenmacher, Schroder, Schröder, Schröter;

• h) Latin terms for cooper: Cuparius, Doliarius, Ligator, Tunnarius, Viego, Vietor, Vinctor;
• i) stave maker and other assisting occupations: Daubenhauer, Daubenmacher, Daugenhauer, Daugenheuer, Bentmaker, Bentschneider, Bentsnider, Bendheuer, Bendschweicher, Bandhauer, Bandreißer, Bandriter, Bandschläger, Bandschneider, Küperholzmacher, Stabschläger, Staffhauer, Stabholzhauer, Kimker, Kemker.