Pigs are not known for their thrift. But piggy banks have been fixtures on children's dressers for generations. What is the connection between piggy banks and pigs?
There is none. But there is a connection between piggy banks and clay. During the Middle Ages in England pots and jars were made from a clay known as "pygg."Homemakers saved what they could in these containers, which became known as "pyggy banks."
Nineteenth-century British potters who knew the name but not its origin began producing pig-shaped money boxes. Soon the modern-day piggy bank (shaped like a pig) had caught on. - Nancy M. Kendall