NameCensus.

UK surname

Pote

A variant spelling of an occupational surname referring to a maker of pots.

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Pote surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 186, ranked #20,575, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Plympton St Mary and Morval. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pote is 201 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.8%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

186

2016, ranked #20,575

Peak year

2011

201 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pote had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016, ranked #20,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 180 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Pote surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pote surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pote surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pote over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 101 #17,036
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 176 #16,185
1997 modern 191 #18,150
1998 modern 192 #18,561
1999 modern 195 #18,517
2000 modern 190 #18,806
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 192 #18,767
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 195 #18,500
2005 modern 187 #18,924
2006 modern 179 #19,592
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 193 #19,077
2009 modern 198 #19,145
2010 modern 200 #19,457
2011 modern 201 #19,213
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 194 #19,932
2014 modern 188 #20,503
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 186 #20,575

Geography

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Where Potes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Plympton St Mary, Morval, Calstock and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Plympton St Mary Devon
3 Morval Cornwall
4 Calstock Cornwall
5 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 037 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 010 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 016 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 017 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pote

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pote surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pote

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pote, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Pote surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Pote household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pote is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pote is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pote falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pote is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pote, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pote

The surname POTE is thought to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely emerging from one of several possible Old English or Anglo-Saxon root words. One theory suggests it derived from the Old English word "pot," referring to a type of container or vessel, potentially indicating an early bearer's occupation as a potter. Alternatively, it may have stemmed from a place name containing a similar root, such as Potton or Potterspury.

Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries reveal several early instances of the surname POTE and its variants. The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey commissioned by King Edward I, includes entries for individuals with the name in various counties, such as John le Pote in Huntingdonshire and Richard Pote in Oxfordshire. The renowned Domesday Book of 1086 does not list the surname directly, but it does mention place names that may have contributed to its origins.

One of the earliest recorded figures bearing the POTE surname was Sir Thomas Pote, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was granted estates in Oxfordshire and Berkshire by King Richard II in recognition of his military service. Another early figure was William Pote, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of King Henry VI in the mid-15th century.

In the 16th century, the name POTE appeared in various historical records and literary works. John Pote, a wealthy merchant and alderman in Bristol, England, was mentioned in several documents from the 1540s. Meanwhile, William Shakespeare's play "The Merry Wives of Windsor," written around 1597, features a character named Mistress Pote, suggesting the surname's presence in Elizabethan England.

During the 17th century, the POTE surname continued to be documented across various regions of England. One notable bearer was Edward Pote, a clergyman and author who lived from 1608 to 1677. He served as the Rector of Bampton in Oxfordshire and published several theological works. Another figure from this period was Sir William Pote, a Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Camberwell in the late 1600s.

As the surname spread and evolved, variations in spelling emerged, such as Pott, Potts, and Potters. These alternative forms may have derived from the same linguistic roots or been influenced by regional dialects and scribal variations in record-keeping. Despite these variations, the core POTE surname maintained its presence throughout English history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pote families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pote surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 60 Potes recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.95x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 60 39.95x
Devon 45 16.30x
Middlesex 7 0.53x
Staffordshire 6 1.34x
Lancashire 4 0.25x
Sussex 4 1.79x
Hampshire 3 1.10x
Surrey 3 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.56x
Renfrewshire 1 0.97x
Royal Navy 1 6.33x
Somerset 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Calstock in Cornwall leads with 12 Potes recorded in 1881 and an index of 406.78x.

Place Total Index
Calstock 12 406.78x
St Breward 10 3030.30x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 42.31x
Plympton Maurice 9 1730.77x
Exeter St Sidwell 8 126.58x
Stoke Damerel 8 41.39x
Bodmin 7 282.26x
Maker 6 431.65x
North Hill 6 1250.00x
St Germans 6 571.43x
Walsall Borough 6 172.41x
Kensington London 5 6.78x
Menheniot 4 645.16x
Brading 3 83.10x
Dalton In Furness 3 49.34x
Pagham 3 750.00x
Plympton St Mary 3 187.50x
Rotherhithe 3 18.30x
Wembury 3 1200.00x
Enfield 2 22.99x
Lidford 2 161.29x
St Blazey 2 151.52x
St Dominick 2 526.32x
St Mary Magdalene 2 181.82x
St Neot 2 338.98x
Cuerdon 1 384.62x
Greenock Oldor West 1 357.14x
Lifton 1 151.52x
Michaelstow 1 1000.00x
Plymouth Charles The 1 8.22x
Plymstock 1 68.97x
Royal Navy 1 7.40x
Snenton 1 14.22x
South Bersted 1 52.63x
Taunton St Mary 1 25.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pote surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 8
Jane 6
Eliza 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Florence 2
Minnie 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Bessey 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Deborah 1
E.J. 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Georgiana 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Jerusha 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Mable 1
Polly 1
Rebecca 1
Sally 1
Selena 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Theriza 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pote surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Pote surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pote surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Pote surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pote surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016. That gives Pote a modern rank of #20,575.

What does the Pote surname mean?

A variant spelling of an occupational surname referring to a maker of pots.

What does the Pote map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pote bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.