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Piggy bank (sometimes penny bank) is the traditional name of a coin accumulation and storage container, most often used by children. Piggy banks are often shaped like pigs and made of ceramic or porcelain.
Etymology
In Middle English, "pygg" referred to a type of clay used for making various household objects such as jars. People often saved money in kitchen pots and jars made of pygg, called "pygg jars". By the 18th Century, the spelling of "pygg" had changed and the term "pygg jar" had evolved to "pig bank." This name may have caught on because the pig banks were mostly used by children, and the pig is a child-friendly shape that is easy to fashion out of clay. The actual origin of the name bears no relation to the pig itself.
Popular culture
The piggy bank has become a collectible, with renditions of it selling as modern art.
The piggy bank is somewhat similar to the Japanese Maneki Neko (Lucky Cat), which is often used as a piggy bank, though not shaped like a pig.
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