NameCensus.

UK surname

Potten

In the 1881 census there were 212 people recorded with the Potten surname, ranking it #12,373 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 344, ranked #13,347, down from #12,373 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, East Grinstead and Burwash. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Canterbury and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Potten is 376 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.3%.

1881 census count

212

Ranked #12,373

Modern count

344

2016, ranked #13,347

Peak year

1999

376 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Potten had 212 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,373 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 344 in 2016, ranked #13,347.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 368 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Potten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Potten surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Potten 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 250 #8,788
1861 historical 289 #8,711
1881 historical 212 #12,373
1891 historical 340 #10,062
1901 historical 314 #11,285
1911 historical 368 #9,886
1997 modern 356 #12,021
1998 modern 374 #11,963
1999 modern 376 #11,979
2000 modern 364 #12,223
2001 modern 354 #12,274
2002 modern 369 #12,144
2003 modern 355 #12,285
2004 modern 368 #12,001
2005 modern 358 #12,176
2006 modern 347 #12,515
2007 modern 349 #12,622
2008 modern 359 #12,459
2009 modern 366 #12,534
2010 modern 369 #12,726
2011 modern 359 #12,856
2012 modern 351 #12,942
2013 modern 357 #12,984
2014 modern 357 #13,068
2015 modern 351 #13,135
2016 modern 344 #13,347

Geography

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Where Pottens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, East Grinstead, Burwash and All Saints Poplar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Canterbury, South Somerset and Southampton. 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 London parishes London 1
2 East Grinstead Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Burwash Sussex
5 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 016 Breckland
2 Canterbury 007 Canterbury
3 South Somerset 015 South Somerset
4 Southampton 028 Southampton
5 South Somerset 004 South Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Potten

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Potten

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Potten, 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 Potten surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Potten 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Potten is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Potten is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Potten falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Potten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Potten 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. Sussex leads with 57 Pottens recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.35x.

County Total Index
Sussex 57 16.35x
Middlesex 52 2.51x
Kent 37 5.24x
Hertfordshire 17 11.93x
Surrey 13 1.29x
Lincolnshire 8 2.42x
Hampshire 7 1.65x
Essex 6 1.47x
Northamptonshire 4 2.06x
Dorset 3 2.21x
Shropshire 2 1.12x
Staffordshire 2 0.29x
Yorkshire 2 0.10x
Bedfordshire 1 0.93x
Warwickshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Poplar London in Middlesex leads with 16 Pottens recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.99x.

Place Total Index
Poplar London 16 40.99x
Cranbrook 11 367.89x
St Pancras London 10 6.01x
Watford 10 90.50x
Ashford 9 131.00x
Burwash 8 493.83x
Chelsea London 8 12.84x
Boston Hall Hills 7 1250.00x
East Grinstead 7 141.70x
Heene 7 1166.67x
Clapham 6 23.21x
Patching 6 3157.89x
Preston Next Faversham 6 361.45x
St Lawrence Winchester 6 3529.41x
Hove 5 32.68x
Icklesham 5 819.67x
Bow London 4 15.19x
Cranford St John 4 1481.48x
Goudhurst 4 205.13x
Lewes St Ann 4 336.13x
Mortlake 4 89.09x
Battersea 3 3.94x
Finchley 3 37.83x
Paddington London 3 3.95x
St Albans 3 102.74x
Washington 3 500.00x
West Tarring 3 576.92x
Wingham 3 365.85x
Bexhill 2 114.94x
Brentwood 2 80.32x
Brighton 2 2.84x
Gosfield 2 465.12x
Hammersmith London 2 3.93x
Lower Penn 2 833.33x
Poole St James 2 39.22x
Prittlewell 2 35.34x
Shifnal 2 41.24x
Tring 2 52.49x
Angmering 1 142.86x
Beckenham 1 10.85x
Berkhampstead 1 31.25x
Birchington 1 101.01x
Bradford 1 2.02x
Deeping St Nicholas 1 103.09x
Eling 1 23.31x
Foots Cray 1 74.07x
Furnivals Inn London 1 833.33x
Hastings All Sts 1 30.40x
Hastings St Leonards 1 19.49x
Hastings St Mary 1 11.52x
Hornsey 1 3.82x
Little Gaddesden 1 384.62x
Luton 1 5.39x
Marden 1 60.61x
Middlesbrough 1 3.75x
Nuneaton 1 16.56x
Portland 1 13.70x
St George Hanover 1 3.71x
St George In East 1 7.11x
St Marylebone London 1 0.91x
St Stephen Coleman 1 181.82x
Ticehurst 1 46.95x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Potten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Potten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 212 people were recorded with the Potten surname. That placed it at #12,373 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Potten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 344 in 2016. That gives Potten a modern rank of #13,347.

What does the Potten map show?

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