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Rotter

The historical Research Center, Family Name History, states

        Firstly, the surname Rotter is of patronymic origin, derived from the first name of the father of the initial bearer.  In this case, the name indicates "son of Rotter", a variant of either Rotheri or Rothard.  The Root of these personal names is derived from the Old High German word "hrod" meaning "famous, illustrious" and the suffexes "hari, heri" meaning "army" or "hardus" meaning "hard, strong"
        Alternatively, the name is of toponymic origin, derived from the place where the initial bearer once lived or held land. Here the name denotes "one who came from Rott, Roth or Rod" the names of several places in Germany.  These toponyms are all derived from the Old High German verb "roden" meaning "to clear wood" and therefore the name is also of local origin, denoting "one who dwelled in a clearing".   In some instances, the name is of nickname origin, descriptive of some personal or physical characteristic of the original bearer, here derived from the Middle High German word "rot" meaning "red".

Actual research by Gernot Rotter

     South German and Austria some Rotter families, which no doubt say: "We have always been here." And as far as I was able to verify this has, this seems at least to a large clan in the area of Fuerth and another in the area south Schwaben / Allgäu really declared, also in Vienna  a doctor named geschichtsbewusster Rotter assured me, that his Ancestors "for many generations," had a farm in Tyrol, and indeed live there today in the Italian Alps. 

• Pittarn, Czeckia. (formerly Czechoslovakia) near Polish border
  Hans Rotter was born about 1683 in Pittarn, Austria. • Occupation: Rented Land To Farm? Auszügler In Pittarn. Hans married Anna about 1707 in Pittarn, Austria. Anna was born about 1683 in Pittarn, Austria ?.
  The child from this marriage was:  Friedrich Rotter was born on 6 Feb 1708 in Pittarn, Austria.

• early Poland (Oberschlessien (Upper Silesia)

• north Maehrens (Ostsudeten). 

• Swabian one (Esslingen, Ehingen

The Wuerttemberg Emigration Index http://www.rader.org/genealogies/rotter%20from%20Wuerttemberg%201832.html

Rotters in early Poland (Oberschlessien (Upper Silesia) http://www.rader.org/newsletters/vol33.htm