NameCensus.

UK surname

Pothecary

In the 1881 census there were 231 people recorded with the Pothecary surname, ranking it #11,722 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 591, ranked #8,825, up from #11,722 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Boyton with Corton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Blaenau Gwent and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pothecary is 602 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 155.8%.

1881 census count

231

Ranked #11,722

Modern count

591

2016, ranked #8,825

Peak year

2010

602 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pothecary had 231 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,722 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016, ranked #8,825.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 381 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Pothecary surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pothecary surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pothecary 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 231 #11,722
1891 historical 299 #11,140
1901 historical 323 #11,065
1911 historical 381 #9,635
1997 modern 545 #8,727
1998 modern 567 #8,715
1999 modern 578 #8,652
2000 modern 572 #8,681
2001 modern 564 #8,645
2002 modern 577 #8,664
2003 modern 566 #8,652
2004 modern 575 #8,584
2005 modern 587 #8,402
2006 modern 575 #8,550
2007 modern 587 #8,505
2008 modern 587 #8,562
2009 modern 596 #8,640
2010 modern 602 #8,766
2011 modern 592 #8,782
2012 modern 577 #8,862
2013 modern 597 #8,782
2014 modern 594 #8,872
2015 modern 586 #8,884
2016 modern 591 #8,825

Geography

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Where Pothecarys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Boyton with Corton, Wellow and Southampton St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Blaenau Gwent and Breckland. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Boyton with Corton Wiltshire
4 Wellow Somerset
5 Southampton St Mary Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 024 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 023 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Blaenau Gwent 001 Blaenau Gwent
4 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
5 Breckland 009 Breckland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pothecary

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pothecary

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pothecary, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Pothecary surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pothecary household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Pothecary is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pothecary is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pothecary falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pothecary 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 Pothecary, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Pothecary families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pothecary 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. Wiltshire leads with 76 Pothecarys recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.81x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 76 37.81x
Surrey 37 3.34x
Hampshire 31 6.65x
Somerset 20 5.47x
Middlesex 12 0.53x
Staffordshire 10 1.30x
Cheshire 8 1.59x
Northamptonshire 7 3.27x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.96x
Glamorgan 5 1.26x
Gloucestershire 5 1.12x
Monmouthshire 5 3.04x
Dorset 4 2.68x
Kent 4 0.52x
Berkshire 1 0.59x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.73x
Sussex 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Boyton in Wiltshire leads with 36 Pothecarys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15000.00x.

Place Total Index
Boyton 36 15000.00x
Southampton St Mary 25 85.35x
Lambeth 15 7.57x
Reigate Foreign 15 125.10x
Clerkenwell London 9 16.78x
Wellow 9 833.33x
Berwick St James 8 5333.33x
Lymm 8 219.18x
Woodford 7 588.24x
Mansfield 6 56.60x
Melksham 6 171.92x
Sutton Veney 6 1071.43x
Bedwellty 5 17.24x
Bristol St Paul In 5 42.09x
Burton Upon Trent 5 27.86x
Hill Deverill 5 4545.45x
Walsall Foreign 5 12.62x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 5 169.49x
Beddington 3 70.09x
Cardiff St John 3 23.20x
Eltham 3 66.08x
Nether Wallop 3 491.80x
Salisbury St Martin 3 143.54x
South Stoke 3 1000.00x
Westminster St James 3 12.84x
Wimborne Minster 3 124.48x
Amesbury 2 227.27x
Llanwonno 2 14.06x
North Cadbury 2 285.71x
Putney 2 19.31x
Salisbury The Close 2 408.16x
South Stoneham 2 19.78x
Bathwick 1 24.69x
Bexley 1 14.58x
Brighton 1 1.29x
Broad Chalk 1 175.44x
Burcombe 1 416.67x
Coombe Bissett 1 357.14x
East Claydon 1 370.37x
Epsom 1 18.52x
Fisherton Anger 1 26.88x
Hartley Wintney 1 71.43x
Maiden Bradley 1 217.39x
Melcombe Regis 1 16.18x
Sandhurst 1 30.30x
Stockton 1 526.32x
Streatham 1 5.93x
Warminster 1 22.73x
Westbury 1 21.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 7
Ann 5
Annie 5
Eliza 5
Emma 5
Clara 4
Ellen 4
Florence 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Emily 3
Kate 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Rosa 3
Rose 3
Alice 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Carlione 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Dorcas 1
Elizebeth 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Helen 1
Hester 1
Hilda 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Marey 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Tatania 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 10
Henry 8
George 7
Charles 6
Frederick 6
Frank 5
James 5
Herbert 4
Albert 3
Isaac 3
Sidney 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Joseph 2
Benjaman 1
Clemant 1
Elijah 1
Enos 1
Fred 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Fredrick 1
Fridreck 1
Giles 1
Harry 1
Jasper 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Mark 1
Noah 1
Richard 1
Sisera 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Pothecary surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pothecary surname in 1881?

In 1881, 231 people were recorded with the Pothecary surname. That placed it at #11,722 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pothecary surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016. That gives Pothecary a modern rank of #8,825.

What does the Pothecary map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pothecary 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.