Origins of the Potter surname

What does the name Potter mean?

Potter is an English surname, found in documents dating back to the 1200s where it is considered relatively common. It is an occupational surname, given to those who made or worked with pots and pottery. Because of the humble origins and common occupation it is based upon, the name is spread throughout Britain.

Alternative variations of the name Potter

Potter, Pottar, Poter, Powter, Patter

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Delve deeper into the Potter family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 674North West 543Isle of Man 10Yorkshire 1426East Midlands 734West Midlands 843East 1866London 3561South East 2119South West 776South Wales 173Mid Wales 18West Wales 9North Wales 41Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Potters lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

30,000 Potter Travel & migration records
190,000 Potters found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Potter

How common is your surname?

184th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Potter surname. The oldest one dates back to 1486.

Who were Potters most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Potters.

What are the most common Potter first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Potter family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Potters

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Potters in 1921

Dressmaker

902

Laundress

543

Domestic Servant

469

General Servant Domestic

427

Living On Own Means

354

Common male occupations for Potters in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

1,118

General Labourer

679

Coal Miner

587

Farm Labourer

585

Farmer

571

We found over 260,000 family trees with the Potter surname

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