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

Potter, 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 Potter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Potter in America

Potter is the 457th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Potter surname appeared 72,175 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Potter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Potter 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 Potter

The surname POTTER originated in England, deriving from the Old English word 'pottor' which referred to a maker of pottery. It first appeared during the medieval period in areas such as Staffordshire, known for its pottery industry. Similar spellings included Poter, Pottor, and Pottere.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a certain Edric Pottor was listed as residing in Warwickshire. Another early reference was Godric le Pottor, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1199.

During the 13th century, surnames began to become hereditary, and the POTTER name was found in various locations across England, often associated with villages or towns where pottery was produced. For instance, in 1275, a Roger le Potter was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir John Potter (1413-1492), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1487. Another prominent figure was Richard Potter (1548-1628), an English clergyman and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various records, such as the marriage of John Potter and Mary Browne in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1622. Around the same time, the name was also found in the New World, with settlers like Nicholas Potter, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.

During the 18th century, several individuals with the POTTER surname made significant contributions. These included John Potter (1674-1747), an English Archbishop of Canterbury, and Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the famous English writer and illustrator of children's books, best known for her tales featuring Peter Rabbit.

In the 19th century, the name was further spread across the globe through migration and exploration. One notable bearer was Alonzo Potter (1800-1865), an American bishop and educator who served as the President of Union College and later as the Bishop of Pennsylvania.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Potter

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

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

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

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