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

Poteat, 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 Poteat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poteat in America

Poteat is the 9384th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poteat surname appeared 3,465 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Poteat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poteat 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 Poteat

The surname Poteat is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the Normandy region, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "potier," which means "potter" or "maker of pots." This suggests that the name was likely associated with a trade or occupation related to pottery.

The earliest known recorded instance of the name Poteat dates back to the 11th century in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Potier," "Pottier," and "Pottere," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and orthography of the time.

During the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, many Norman families, including those bearing the name Poteat or its variants, accompanied William the Conqueror and settled in various parts of the British Isles. Records from the 12th century indicate the presence of individuals with the surname Poteat in regions like Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

One notable figure in history associated with the name Poteat was John Poteat (c. 1350-1420), a prominent merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, England. He was a member of the Guild of Potteries and played a significant role in the local pottery industry. Another historical figure was William Poteat (c. 1470-1542), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who contributed to the construction of St. Mary's Church in Cheltenham.

In the 16th century, the name Poteat appeared in various records across England, including parish registers and court documents. During this period, the spelling of the name became more standardized, often appearing as "Poteat" or "Pottit." One notable individual from this era was Thomas Poteat (c. 1520-1587), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Peace in Wiltshire.

As the centuries progressed, the Poteat family continued to expand across England and beyond. In the 18th century, several members of the family were involved in the textile industry, particularly in the production of wool and linen. One noteworthy figure from this period was James Poteat (1710-1778), a successful wool merchant and landowner from Yorkshire.

Another significant person bearing the surname Poteat was Sir William Poteat (1805-1885), a British naval officer who rose to the rank of Admiral and served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War. He was awarded several honors for his distinguished service, including the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poteat

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!