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

Pondexter, 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 Pondexter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pondexter in America

Pondexter is the 45569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pondexter surname appeared 469 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 Pondexter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pondexter 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 Pondexter

The surname Pondexter has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "pund" meaning "pound" or "enclosure" and "exter" meaning "a person from", suggesting that the original bearers of this name were from a place with an enclosed area or pound.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, compiled in 1273. The name appears as "Pundherst", referring to a small village in the county. This village name later evolved into various spellings such as Ponderxte and eventually Pondexter.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Sir John Pondexter, a knight who served under King Henry V during the Hundred Years' War. He was born in 1387 in Hertfordshire and died in 1456.

The Pondexter family established itself in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Essex. The name appears in several parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries, including baptisms, marriages, and burials.

During the 17th century, a branch of the Pondexter family migrated to the American colonies, settling in Virginia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of William Pondexter, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with this surname was Josiah Pondexter, a Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia. He was born in 1745 and served in the Continental Army under General George Washington.

Another notable individual was John Pondexter, a British explorer who embarked on expeditions to the Pacific Northwest in the early 19th century. He was born in 1785 in Devonshire and is credited with mapping various regions of present-day Oregon and Washington.

During the 19th century, the surname Pondexter was also found in various parts of the United States, particularly in the southern states. One notable figure from this period was James Pondexter, a politician and lawyer from Mississippi, who served as a U.S. Senator from 1841 to 1847.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with this surname was Cyril Pondexter, a renowned British actor and playwright. He was born in 1902 in London and had a successful career spanning several decades, appearing in numerous plays and films until his death in 1981.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pondexter

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

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 Pondexter 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 Pondexter 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 Pondexter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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