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

Potvin, 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 Potvin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Potvin in America

Potvin is the 12421st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Potvin surname appeared 2,503 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Potvin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Potvin 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 Potvin

The surname POTVIN originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "pot" and "vin," meaning "pot" and "wine," respectively. The name was likely given to someone who worked as a wine merchant or innkeeper.

The earliest recorded instances of the POTVIN surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the Normandy region of northern France. In medieval manuscripts, the name is sometimes spelled as "Potuvin" or "Pottevin."

One of the earliest known bearers of the POTVIN name was Raoul Potvin, a merchant from the town of Rouen who lived in the late 13th century. His name appears in several records from the local cathedral archives.

In the 15th century, a branch of the POTVIN family settled in the Picardy region of northern France. Jacques Potvin (1425-1498) was a notable figure from this lineage, serving as a magistrate in the city of Amiens.

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the POTVIN name spread to other parts of France, as well as to neighboring countries like Belgium and Switzerland. Jean-Baptiste Potvin (1610-1675), a French Huguenot, fled religious persecution and settled in the Netherlands, where he became a successful wine merchant.

Another notable bearer of the POTVIN name was Marie-Catherine Potvin (1721-1798), a French artist and engraver who is remembered for her intricate etchings of landscapes and architectural scenes.

During the 19th century, several members of the POTVIN family emigrated to North America, particularly to regions of Canada and the United States with significant French-speaking populations. One of the earliest arrivals was Louis Potvin (1812-1887), who settled in Quebec and worked as a farmer and lumberjack.

Over the centuries, the POTVIN surname has been associated with various occupations, including winemaking, innkeeping, agriculture, and commerce. While the name originated in France, it has since become prevalent in many other parts of the world due to emigration and cultural diffusion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Potvin

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

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

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

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