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

Pothier, 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 Pothier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pothier in America

Pothier is the 21184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pothier surname appeared 1,239 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 Pothier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pothier 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 Pothier

The surname Pothier originated in France during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "potier," which means "potter" or someone who crafts ceramic pots and vessels. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, referring to individuals who worked as potters or in the pottery trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the Pothier surname can be found in various French historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is a mention of a Jean Pothier in the census records of the town of Dijon in 1376. Additionally, the name appears in several historical manuscripts and documents from the region of Burgundy, suggesting a strong presence of the Pothier family in that area during the medieval period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Pothier surname was Jacques Pothier (1459-1522), a renowned French jurist and legal scholar who served as a counselor to the Parliament of Paris. His influential treatises on civil and ecclesiastical law were widely studied and referenced throughout Europe during the Renaissance.

Another notable figure was Robert Joseph Pothier (1699-1772), a French jurist and legal scholar from Orléans. His extensive work on French civil law, particularly his commentaries on the Coutume d'Orléans and the Coutume de Paris, had a significant impact on the development of the Napoleonic Code and modern civil law systems.

In the realm of literature, Marie-Joseph-Louis-Félix Vieu-Pothier (1789-1862) was a French poet and playwright who gained recognition for his works, including the tragedy "Marie Stuart" and the epic poem "La Révolte des Anges."

Moving into the 20th century, Eugène Pothier (1885-1966) was a distinguished French philosopher and educator who made significant contributions to the study of ethics and moral philosophy. He served as a professor at the University of Strasbourg and the Sorbonne in Paris.

Another notable figure was André Pothier (1901-1976), a French architect and urban planner who played a crucial role in the reconstruction and urban renewal efforts in Paris after World War II. His designs and projects helped shape the modern landscape of the city.

Throughout its history, the Pothier surname has been associated with various locations in France, particularly in the regions of Burgundy, Orléanais, and Île-de-France, where it has maintained a strong presence over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pothier

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

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

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

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