What is Another Name for a Piggy Bank? Synonyms & More

When looking for another name for a piggy bank, you will find that coin-saving receptacles go by a surprising variety of titles depending on whether you are talking about their literal shape, their historical material, or regional slang.

Direct Synonyms and Alternative Names

If a coin holder isn’t molded in the shape of a farm animal, or if you simply prefer a different term, several common expressions fit the bill:

• Money Box: One of the most widespread global alternatives, particularly in British English, describing any box or container designated for keeping spare cash.
• Penny Bank: A traditional term highlighting the historical function of saving small denomination coins.
• Coin Bank: A broad, literal descriptor for any container engineered with a slot specifically to collect and store coins.
• Savings Bank: Though “savings bank” more commonly refers to a financial institution today, it historically described personal home vaults or box repositories.
• Cash Box / Money Chest: Typically implies a more secure, lockable metal box used for keeping larger sums of physical currency or petty cash.

The Surprising Linguistic Twist Behind the Name

The irony of looking for another name for a piggy bank is that the original name had nothing to do with the animal at all!

During the Middle Ages in England, household items like jars, pots, and kitchenware were frequently fashioned out of an affordable, dense orange clay called “pygg”. When people wanted a secure place to stash spare coins, they dropped them into jars made of this material, leading to containers colloquially called “pygg banks”.

As centuries passed, the English language shifted. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the word pygg had evolved in pronunciation to sound identical to pig. Potters, taking requests literally for “piggy banks,” began molding the containers into actual pigs—cementing a delightful historical coincidence that persists to this day.

Global and Cultural Alternatives

Different cultures have their own unique names and traditional shapes for home savings banks:

• The Tear-Open Tradition: In many Latin American countries, coin banks made of unglazed clay are known as alcancías. Traditional versions often have no plug at all, meaning you have to smash them open once they are full, symbolizing a commitment to reaching a financial goal.
• Lucky Beasts: In parts of Asia and Europe, coin containers have historically been shaped like boars, frogs, or cats (such as the Japanese Maneki-neko coin boxes) because those animals represent prosperity, accumulation, and good fortune.