Personal money banks have existed since ancient times.
In those times, metals were rare, and the technology to mould them was still not advanced.
So, they were mostly made of clay — like pots and pans.
This clay was called ‘pygg’— pronounced as pug.
Gradually, the language conventions changed, and ‘pygg’ began to be pronounced as pig.
Potters began casting the money bank in the shape of its familiar, everyday name – pig.
By the 18th century, “pygg bank” became “pig bank” and then “piggy bank”.
While this is the most popular theory, it has often been called a false theory.
The other theory suggests that the word “pig” was used in the 14th-15th centuries to describe general earthenware products.
Yet another theory suggests that pigs have historically been associated with good luck and money in Europe.
E.g., someone who gets lucky in German is still said to have “schwein gehabt” (“got pig!”).
Pig-shaped “good luck” candy is a popular gift in northern Europe.
In pre-famine Ireland, pigs were called “the gentleman who pays the rent” because raising and selling a pig was the primary means of earning to pay dues.
