NameCensus.

UK surname

Potter

An occupational surname referring to a maker of ceramic pottery or earthenware vessels.

In the 1881 census there were 19,384 people recorded with the Potter surname, ranking it #192 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 24,650, ranked #232, down from #192 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, South Norfolk and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Potter is 26,085 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.2%.

1881 census count

19,384

Ranked #192

Modern count

24,650

2016, ranked #232

Peak year

1999

26,085 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Potter had 19,384 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #192 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 24,650 in 2016, ranked #232.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 25,654 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Potter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Potter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Potter 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 12,247 #204
1861 historical 11,569 #210
1881 historical 19,384 #192
1891 historical 19,574 #199
1901 historical 24,254 #190
1911 historical 25,654 #165
1997 modern 25,232 #214
1998 modern 26,049 #217
1999 modern 26,085 #218
2000 modern 25,944 #218
2001 modern 25,190 #220
2002 modern 25,526 #223
2003 modern 24,762 #223
2004 modern 24,685 #224
2005 modern 24,074 #229
2006 modern 23,994 #229
2007 modern 24,084 #229
2008 modern 24,140 #231
2009 modern 24,701 #231
2010 modern 25,052 #233
2011 modern 24,823 #231
2012 modern 24,435 #230
2013 modern 24,921 #233
2014 modern 25,063 #233
2015 modern 24,809 #233
2016 modern 24,650 #232

Geography

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Where Potters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, South Norfolk, East Riding of Yorkshire, St. Helens and Braintree. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 007 Eden
2 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 045 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
5 Braintree 014 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Potter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Potter

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Potter 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

Potter is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Potter falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Potter

The surname POTTER originated in England, deriving from the Old English word 'pottor' which referred to a maker of pottery. It first appeared during the medieval period in areas such as Staffordshire, known for its pottery industry. Similar spellings included Poter, Pottor, and Pottere.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a certain Edric Pottor was listed as residing in Warwickshire. Another early reference was Godric le Pottor, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1199.

During the 13th century, surnames began to become hereditary, and the POTTER name was found in various locations across England, often associated with villages or towns where pottery was produced. For instance, in 1275, a Roger le Potter was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir John Potter (1413-1492), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1487. Another prominent figure was Richard Potter (1548-1628), an English clergyman and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various records, such as the marriage of John Potter and Mary Browne in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1622. Around the same time, the name was also found in the New World, with settlers like Nicholas Potter, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.

During the 18th century, several individuals with the POTTER surname made significant contributions. These included John Potter (1674-1747), an English Archbishop of Canterbury, and Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the famous English writer and illustrator of children's books, best known for her tales featuring Peter Rabbit.

In the 19th century, the name was further spread across the globe through migration and exploration. One notable bearer was Alonzo Potter (1800-1865), an American bishop and educator who served as the President of Union College and later as the Bishop of Pennsylvania.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Potter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Potter 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. Middlesex leads with 2,121 Potters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.12x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,121 1.12x
Lancashire 2,039 0.91x
Yorkshire 1,684 0.90x
Surrey 1,375 1.49x
Essex 1,080 2.89x
Kent 846 1.31x
Sussex 755 2.36x
Derbyshire 724 2.44x
Devon 718 1.82x
Suffolk 696 3.02x
Worcestershire 656 2.65x
Norfolk 650 2.23x
Warwickshire 493 1.03x
Leicestershire 427 2.03x
Durham 392 0.70x
Staffordshire 336 0.53x
Gloucestershire 331 0.89x
Cheshire 324 0.77x
Wiltshire 316 1.89x
Nottinghamshire 290 1.14x
Hampshire 241 0.62x
Lanarkshire 229 0.37x
Northumberland 220 0.78x
Midlothian 198 0.78x
Somerset 191 0.63x
Hertfordshire 139 1.06x
West Lothian 138 4.84x
Shropshire 135 0.82x
Northamptonshire 132 0.74x
Lincolnshire 131 0.43x
Angus 114 0.65x
Cornwall 108 0.50x
Dorset 104 0.84x
Glamorgan 102 0.31x
Cambridgeshire 99 0.83x
Oxfordshire 90 0.77x
Cumberland 89 0.55x
Berkshire 83 0.58x
Bedfordshire 66 0.67x
Buckinghamshire 56 0.49x
Westmorland 54 1.30x
Monmouthshire 46 0.34x
Herefordshire 45 0.58x
Kincardineshire 40 1.73x
Stirlingshire 31 0.44x
Channel Islands 30 0.53x
East Lothian 24 0.96x
Fife 22 0.20x
Brecknockshire 20 0.53x
Denbighshire 20 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 20 0.33x
Royal Navy 19 0.84x
Rutland 15 1.08x
Caernarfonshire 12 0.16x
Dumfriesshire 12 0.29x
Montgomeryshire 12 0.28x
Ayrshire 10 0.07x
Flintshire 9 0.18x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.04x
Clackmannanshire 7 0.45x
Huntingdonshire 7 0.19x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 0.26x
Anglesey 6 0.18x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.06x
Perthshire 5 0.06x
Radnorshire 5 0.33x
Isle of Man 4 0.11x
Renfrewshire 4 0.03x
Roxburghshire 2 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.02x
Peeblesshire 1 0.11x
Wigtownshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 240 Potters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.45x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 240 1.45x
Birmingham 223 1.40x
Islington London 188 1.02x
St Pancras London 173 1.13x
Croydon 166 3.24x
Leicester St Margaret 166 3.24x
Aston 151 1.15x
Hackney London 137 1.29x
Bethnal Green London 136 1.65x
Toxteth Park 123 1.62x
Camberwell 117 0.97x
Kidderminster Borough 108 7.46x
West Ham 104 1.26x
Nottingham St Mary 103 1.56x
Mile End Old Town 101 3.38x
Oldham 100 1.38x
Worsley 100 7.22x
Shoreditch London 99 1.21x
Brighton 97 1.51x
Leeds 96 0.91x
Kensington London 91 0.86x
Battersea 89 1.28x
Manchester 87 0.86x
St Marylebone London 87 0.86x
Eastbourne 83 5.65x
Paddington London 83 1.19x
Derby St Werburgh 82 4.79x
Portsea 78 1.02x
Great Coggeshall 77 39.59x
Warrington 74 2.78x
Liverpool 71 0.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 70 1.42x
Bermondsey 69 1.22x
Horsham 68 10.96x
Hampstead London 64 2.17x
Preston 64 1.06x
St George Hanover 64 2.59x
Everton 63 0.88x
Deptford St Paul 60 1.20x
Ribbesford 60 29.14x
Ilkeston 59 7.09x
Kings Norton 57 2.57x
Hammersmith London 56 1.20x
Newington 56 0.80x
Uphall 55 17.53x
West Derby 55 0.84x
Maidstone 54 2.80x
St Luke London 54 1.78x
Hornsey 53 2.21x
Leicester St Mary 53 3.12x
Salford 53 0.80x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 53 8.19x
Stockton On Tees 50 1.84x
Bromley London 49 1.18x
Southwark St George Martyr 49 1.29x
Glasgow 48 0.44x
Sutton 47 6.23x
Poplar London 46 1.29x
Tormoham 46 2.76x
Basford 45 3.82x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 45 0.44x
Holy Trinity 45 1.00x
Westminster St John 45 1.95x
Hunslet 44 1.50x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 43 1.23x
Clerkenwell London 43 0.96x
Halstead 41 9.40x
Middlesbrough 40 1.64x
Romford 40 6.77x
Barony 39 0.25x
York St Mary 39 5.02x
Cleobury Mortimer 38 36.83x
Cowlinge 38 86.17x
Cheltenham 37 1.29x
Derby St Alkmund 36 4.05x
Wavertree 35 4.86x
Woolwich 35 1.47x
Chelsea London 33 0.58x
Worth 33 14.23x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 32 7.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,226
Elizabeth 740
Sarah 682
Jane 337
Ann 329
Alice 322
Eliza 315
Emma 297
Annie 257
Emily 250
Ellen 248
Hannah 180
Margaret 160
Harriet 143
Caroline 142
Louisa 133
Martha 131
Edith 117
Florence 116
Maria 116
Charlotte 111
Ada 107
Fanny 93
Kate 92
Harriett 88
Catherine 77
Lucy 76
Frances 74
Susan 69
Clara 68
Anne 67
Agnes 65
Amelia 65
Rose 48
Isabella 46
Susannah 46
Esther 43
Julia 43
Jessie 42
Matilda 42
Laura 40
Eleanor 38
Minnie 38
Amy 37
Ruth 35
Anna 31
Lydia 31
Selina 30
Elizth. 29
Ethel 29

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,223
John 1,068
George 693
James 611
Thomas 582
Henry 437
Charles 385
Joseph 353
Alfred 238
Robert 198
Arthur 190
Samuel 189
Edward 181
Frederick 179
Richard 169
Walter 134
Albert 125
Harry 118
Frank 92
Herbert 85
Edwin 74
David 68
Ernest 65
Wm. 63
Francis 56
Benjamin 55
Thos. 35
Isaac 31
Peter 30
Sidney 30
Daniel 28
Geo. 23
Lewis 23
Percy 23
Tom 22
Fred 21
Fredrick 21
Abraham 20
Edmund 20
Chas. 18
Leonard 18
Philip 18
Edgar 17
Harold 16
Stephen 16
Fredk. 15
Ralph 15
Jonathan 14
Mark 14
Reuben 14

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Potter households.

FAQ

Potter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Potter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19,384 people were recorded with the Potter surname. That placed it at #192 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Potter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 24,650 in 2016. That gives Potter a modern rank of #232.

What does the Potter surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker of ceramic pottery or earthenware vessels.

What does the Potter map show?

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