Word Origin & History
tot"little child," 1725, Scottish, of uncertain origin, perhaps a shortened form of totter, or related to O.N. tottr, nickname of a dwarf (cf. Swed. tutte "little child," Dan. tommel-tot "little child," in which the first element means "thumb").
tot"to reckon up," 1760, from tot (n.), first recorded 1690, short for
total.