2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Poticher
A variation of the German surname Pötsch referring to a pot or vessel maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Poticher. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poticher surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Poticher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poticher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poticher
The surname "POTICHER" is believed to have originated in Germany during the late Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "pottschen," which means "to dabble" or "to splash." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who worked with water or liquid, such as a brewer or a dyer.
In the 15th century, the name "POTICHER" appeared in several records from the Bavarian region of Germany. One notable mention is in the town archives of Regensburg, where a "Hans POTICHER" is listed as a member of the local brewers' guild in 1472.
As the name spread and evolved, various spelling variations emerged, including "POTTICHER," "POTTSCHER," and "POTSCHER." These variations can be found in historical documents from different parts of Germany and neighboring regions, such as Austria and Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name "POTICHER" was Konrad POTICHER, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in a trade agreement with the city of Augsburg, dated 1387.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name "POTICHER" started to appear in other parts of Europe as people migrated. For instance, Johann POTICHER, born in 1532 in Ulm, Germany, is known to have settled in the Netherlands and became a successful brewer in Amsterdam.
Another notable figure was Balthasar POTICHER, a German-born philosopher and theologian who lived from 1558 to 1623. He taught at the University of Ingolstadt and published several works on ethics and metaphysics.
In the 18th century, the name "POTICHER" can be found in records from the Alsace region of France, which had been part of the Holy Roman Empire until the 17th century. This suggests that some bearers of the name may have migrated from Germany to Alsace during this period.
One of the most prominent individuals with the surname "POTICHER" was Karl Friedrich POTICHER, a German-born painter and engraver who lived from 1758 to 1830. He is known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural scenes, many of which were commissioned by wealthy patrons across Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poticher
Among Census respondents with the surname Poticher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Poticher bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Poticher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Poticher
Poticher appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,289 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Poticher surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #154,755 | 0.8% |
| Count | 104 | 102 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Poticher bearers went from 104 to 102 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,755.
FAQ
Poticher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poticher?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Poticher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Poticher?
Poticher ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Poticher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Poticher.
Has Poticher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Poticher went from 104 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Poticher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poticher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Poticher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poticher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Poticher (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Poticher mean?
A variation of the German surname Pötsch referring to a pot or vessel maker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Poticher (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Poticher?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.