While there exists some disagreement as to its origin, two principal theories exist: the combination of the English "pot" and "luck," or the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|North American indigenous]] [[communal meal]] ''[[potlatch]]''.
The word ''pot-luck'' appears in the [[16th century England|16th century English]] work of [[Thomas Nashe]], and used to mean "food provided for an unexpected or uninvited guest, the luck of the pot."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L55TAAAAcAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PR4&q=pot-lucke&hl=en|title=Strange Newes, of the Intercepting Certaine Letters and a Convoy of Verses ...|last=Nash|first=Thomas|date=1870|language=en}}</ref> The modern execution of a "communal meal, where guests bring their own food," most likely originated in the 1930s during the Depression.<ref>Flora, Martin. [http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1933/01/27/page/14/article/potluck-meal-innovation-due-to-depression "Potluck Meal Innovation Due to Depression: Guests Chip in With Part of Dinner"], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', Chicago, 27 January 1933. Retrieved on 5 March 2017.</ref>