Find out how popular the last name Poat is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Poat.

Poat, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Poat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poat in America

Poat is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poat surname appeared 167 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Poat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poat to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Poat

The surname Poat has its origins in France, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old French word "pot," meaning a pot or container, which may suggest that the original bearers of this name were involved in the pottery trade or lived near a pottery workshop.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Cartulaire de Chartres, a collection of charters and documents from the Chartres region of northern France, dated around 1180. This record mentions a certain "Radulphus Poat," suggesting the name was already in use by that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Pot," "Pote," and "Potte," in various parts of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region. This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

One notable bearer of the surname was Jehan Poat, a farmer from the village of Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, who was mentioned in the land registry records of the local lord in 1342. This suggests that the Poat family had established roots in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in historical records from the city of Rouen, where a certain Jean Poat was listed as a merchant and guild member in 1487. This indicates that the Poat family had achieved a certain level of prominence and prosperity in the urban centers of northern France by the late medieval period.

Another notable figure with the surname Poat was Étienne Poat, a soldier who fought in the French Wars of Religion during the 16th century. He was mentioned in the chronicles of the time for his bravery in the Battle of Moncontour in 1569.

In the 17th century, the name Poat appeared in connection with several villages and hamlets in the Normandy region, such as Poat-sur-Risle and Poat-le-Petit, suggesting that the name may have been associated with specific geographic locations at that time.

Throughout its history, the surname Poat has undergone various spelling variations, including Poatt, Poatte, and Poats, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations common in historical documents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poat

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Poat.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Poat was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Poat has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Poat was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Poat, please contact us.

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