2000
#74,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 242
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Potterton
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "farm by the potter's kiln".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 295 Americans carry the last name Potterton. That puts it at #79,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,161,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Potterton 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Potterton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
295
1 in 1,161,879
Census rank
#79,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
257
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 257 bearers of the surname Potterton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Potterton, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Potterton
The surname Potterton has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Potterton or Potterton Towne, which was located in Yorkshire, England. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "pott" meaning a pot or vessel, and "tun" meaning a town or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Potterton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a place called "Pottertuna" in Yorkshire, which is likely the origin of the surname.
In the 13th century, records show a Roger de Potterton in Yorkshire, indicating that the name was already in use as a hereditary surname by this time. Another early bearer of the name was William de Potterton, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301.
During the 16th century, the name Potterton appeared in various spellings, such as Potterton, Pottertoun, and Pottertown. This was a common occurrence during this period, as spelling conventions were not standardized. One notable individual from this time was John Potterton, a merchant from York who was recorded in the city's guild rolls in 1568.
In the 17th century, the name Potterton continued to be found in Yorkshire, as well as in other parts of England. A notable bearer of the name was Richard Potterton (1598-1668), a clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Potterton achieved prominence in various fields. These include William Potterton (1720-1796), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London; and Mary Potterton (1786-1863), a philanthropist and social reformer who founded several charitable organizations in Yorkshire.
Other notable bearers of the name Potterton include John Potterton (1832-1905), a successful businessman and industrialist who founded the Potterton Boiler Company in Leeds, which became a leading manufacturer of heating equipment; and Sir Thomas Potterton (1868-1946), a politician and member of parliament who served as the Lord Mayor of Leeds in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Potterton
Among Census respondents with the surname Potterton, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Potterton 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 Potterton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 239
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 7
- Two or more races2.7% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Potterton
Potterton 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
#78,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 243
+1 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 4,169 places
2020
#79,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 257
+14 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 1,241 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74,398 | 242 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,567 | 243 | 0.08 | +1 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 4,169 places |
| 2020 | #79,808 | 257 | 0.09 | +14 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 1,241 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 Potterton 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 | #78,567 | #79,808 | -1.6% |
| Count | 243 | 257 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Potterton bearers went from 243 to 257 (+5.8% change). The surname moved down 1,241 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,567 to #79,808.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Potterton
FAQ
Potterton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Potterton?
Name Census estimates that about 295 living Americans carry the surname Potterton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,161,879 residents.
How common is Potterton?
Potterton ranks #79,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 257 people with the surname Potterton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (295), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Potterton.
Has Potterton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Potterton went from 243 recorded bearers to 257. That is an increase of 14 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,567 to #79,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Potterton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Potterton, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Potterton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Potterton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Potterton (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 Potterton mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "farm by the potter's kiln". 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 Potterton (0.09 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 common is the surname Potterton?
Want to know how many people are called Potterton? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.