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

Potash, 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 Potash surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Potash in America

Potash is the 29366th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Potash surname appeared 805 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 Potash.

We can also compare 2010 data for Potash 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 Potash

The surname "Potash" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "pot" and "æsc," which together meant "pot maker" or "potter." The earliest known recorded spelling of the name was "Pottasche," which appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

The Potash family likely hailed from the county of Oxfordshire, where they were among the skilled artisans who crafted pottery and ceramic wares. As the name suggests, they were involved in the production of potash, a key ingredient in the glazing process used to create vitreous pottery.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Potash, a potter who resided in the village of Bampton, Oxfordshire, in the late 14th century. His name was recorded in the Oxfordshire Rolls of 1389.

In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread beyond Oxfordshire. A record from 1524 mentions a Thomas Potash, a merchant and potter from the town of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, which was renowned for its thriving pottery industry.

The Potash family continued to play a significant role in the English pottery trade throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Notable individuals from this period include William Potash (1628-1701), a master potter from Staffordshire, and his son, Samuel Potash (1660-1732), who established a successful pottery business in Burslem, Staffordshire.

Another prominent figure was Joseph Potash (1714-1786), a renowned ceramicist from Stoke-on-Trent, whose innovative techniques and designs helped establish the region as a center of excellence in the pottery industry.

During the 19th century, members of the Potash family were found throughout England, with some branching out to other parts of the British Empire. One such individual was Robert Potash (1812-1887), a successful merchant and entrepreneur who emigrated from England to Australia in the 1850s and made his fortune in the burgeoning colonial economy.

While the Potash surname is not as common today as it once was, it remains a reminder of the rich heritage and skilled craftsmanship associated with the English pottery tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Potash

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

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

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

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