2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Potmesil
A surname of Czech origin meaning 'potter' or someone who makes pots.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Potmesil. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Potmesil 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Potmesil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Potmesil, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Potmesil
The surname POTMESIL originated in the Czech Republic, likely in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Czech words "pot" meaning "sweat" and "měsil" meaning "to mix" or "to knead." This suggests the name may have been given to someone who worked as a baker or in a similar occupation that involved mixing or kneading dough while sweating.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name POTMESIL can be found in the records of the town of Litomyšl, located in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic, dating back to the late 1600s. The name was also present in various parish records and census documents from other parts of the country during that time period.
In the 18th century, a man named Jan POTMESIL (1712-1784) was a respected miller and landowner in the village of Hodonín, near the city of Brno. His son, Tomáš POTMESIL (1743-1821), continued the family's involvement in the milling business and expanded their landholdings.
Another notable figure with the surname POTMESIL was Josef POTMESIL (1826-1898), a Czech writer and poet who was born in the town of Žinkovy. He was a prominent figure in the Czech National Revival movement and published several collections of poems and other literary works.
In the late 19th century, a man named Václav POTMESIL (1857-1932) was a successful businessman and entrepreneur in Prague. He founded a successful brewery and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of a scholarship fund for students from low-income families.
The name POTMESIL also appeared in various historical records from other parts of Europe, suggesting that some individuals with this surname may have migrated or traveled to other countries over the centuries. However, the name's origins and strongest concentration remained in the Czech Republic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Potmesil
Among Census respondents with the surname Potmesil, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Potmesil 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 Potmesil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 95
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Potmesil
Potmesil appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+11 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,759 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,056 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 1,759 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 7,056 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 Potmesil 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 | #143,149 | #150,205 | -4.9% |
| Count | 116 | 109 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Potmesil bearers went from 116 to 109 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 7,056 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,205.
FAQ
Potmesil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Potmesil?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Potmesil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Potmesil?
Potmesil ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Potmesil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Potmesil.
Has Potmesil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Potmesil went from 116 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Potmesil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Potmesil, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Potmesil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Potmesil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Two or More Races (5.5%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Potmesil (2000, 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 Potmesil mean?
A surname of Czech origin meaning 'potter' or someone who makes pots. 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 Potmesil (0.04 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 people have the last name Potmesil?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Potmesil, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.