How did "china" become the name of dinnerware?

Answer by  Boonman1000 (16)

Ceramic plates and bowls made there way into Europe through trade routes with China. As China was the only porcelain making country known to the Europeans, the word 'china' became a common name for porcelain dinnerware.

Answer by  Brian94588 (304)

"China" originally just meant "dishes or other porcelain imported from China." Dishware of Chinese origin was first imported to Europe in the twelfth century, but was very expensive and found only in the homes of the very rich. By the 1800s it was commonly to be found in middle-class households.