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

Poteau, 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 Poteau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poteau in America

Poteau is the 92719th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poteau surname appeared 198 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 Poteau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poteau 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 Poteau

The surname Poteau has its roots in France, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "poteu," which means "post" or "stake." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a prominent post or stake, or perhaps someone who worked with wood or construction.

The earliest known record of the Poteau name dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of medieval charters and deeds. In this document, a man named Petrus de Poteau is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Chartres.

During the Middle Ages, the Poteau family likely hailed from the northern regions of France, particularly the areas around Paris and Normandy. The name is also found in various medieval records and documents from these regions, such as the Livre des Bourgeois de l'Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which recorded the names of citizens in Paris during the 14th century.

One notable example of the Poteau name can be found in the historical figure of Jean Poteau, a French soldier and explorer who lived in the 17th century (1646-1712). He played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the French territories in North America, particularly in the regions of Louisiana and Mississippi.

Another prominent individual bearing the Poteau surname was François Poteau (1782-1858), a French architect and urban planner who was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in Paris during the 19th century.

In the realm of literature, the French author and critic Louis Poteau (1857-1929) made significant contributions to the literary scene of his time, writing numerous works on literature, art, and cultural criticism.

Additionally, the Poteau name has been associated with various place names throughout France, such as the town of Poteau in the department of Manche, which likely took its name from the local Poteau family or a prominent feature in the area.

It's worth noting that while the Poteau name has its origins in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with descendants bearing this surname found in countries like Canada, the United States, and others with historical ties to French settlement and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poteau

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

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

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

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