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

Potthoff, 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 Potthoff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Potthoff in America

Potthoff is the 25064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Potthoff surname appeared 991 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 Potthoff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Potthoff 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 Potthoff

The surname Potthoff is of German origin, derived from the Old German words "pott" meaning "pot" and "hof" meaning "homestead" or "farm". It likely originated in the late Middle Ages, referring to an individual who lived on a farm or homestead where pots or earthenware were produced or sold.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Potthoff can be traced back to the 16th century in various regions of Germany, including Lower Saxony, Westphalia, and the Rhineland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Potthoff, a potter recorded in the city of Münster in Westphalia in 1532.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records and documents, such as the church registers of the town of Bochum in Westphalia, where a Johannes Potthoff was listed in 1642. Another notable individual from this era was Gerhard Potthoff, a merchant and landowner from the city of Soest, who lived from 1608 to 1679.

During the 18th century, the Potthoff surname spread to other parts of Germany and Europe. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Heinrich Potthoff, a German painter and engraver born in Münster in 1734, known for his religious artworks and portraits.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the Potthoff surname achieved recognition in various fields. August Potthoff (1824-1898) was a German theologian and historian from Westphalia, known for his works on the history of the Reformation. Carl Potthoff (1863-1934) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Cologne and other cities.

Another notable figure from this period was Wilhelm Potthoff (1853-1923), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and the Reichstag (Imperial Parliament) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

As the Potthoff surname spread beyond Germany, it also appeared in other parts of Europe and eventually in the Americas through immigration. One notable American bearer of the name was Walter Potthoff (1907-1977), a writer and educator from Wisconsin who authored several books on American history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Potthoff

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

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

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

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