2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pockett
A surname referring to a maker or seller of small bags or pouches.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Pockett. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pockett surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pockett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Pockett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pockett, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pockett
The surname Pockett originated in England, with records dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pocca," meaning a small bag or pouch. The name may have initially referred to someone who made or sold small pouches or bags.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, which mentions a "Richard Poket." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century, likely referring to an occupation or trade.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Poket," "Pokette," and "Pokott," reflecting the different spellings and pronunciations of the time. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Staffordshire list a "William Poket," while the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1381 mentions a "John Pockett."
The Pockett surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in the Domesday Book is slightly different, appearing as "Poche" or "Pochie."
One notable figure in history with the surname Pockett was Richard Pockett (1628-1695), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of Minting, Lincolnshire. Another was John Pockett (1740-1810), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 18th century, the name Pockett appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire. A famous bearer of the name was Thomas Pockett (1756-1836), an English businessman and philanthropist who founded the Pockett's Charity for the poor in Bristol.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the Pockett surname. William Pockett (1814-1891) was an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London. Edward Pockett (1832-1908) was a British artist known for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting scenes from the English countryside.
Throughout its history, the Pockett surname has maintained a strong presence in England, with various spellings and variations emerging over time. While the name may have originated from a humble occupation or trade, it has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including clergymen, military officers, architects, artists, and philanthropists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pockett
Among Census respondents with the surname Pockett, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pockett bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pockett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 87
- Two or more races6.8% · 7
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pockett
Pockett appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-14 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,120 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,052 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 24,120 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,052 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pockett surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #154,182 | 1.9% |
| Count | 103 | 103 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pockett bearers went from 103 to 103 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,052 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #154,182.
FAQ
Pockett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pockett?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Pockett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Pockett?
Pockett ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Pockett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pockett.
Has Pockett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pockett went from 103 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Pockett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pockett, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Black (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pockett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pockett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Two or More Races (6.8%), Black (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pockett (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pockett mean?
A surname referring to a maker or seller of small bags or pouches. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pockett (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Pockett?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.