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Potter Family History

Potter Name Meaning

English and Dutch; North German (Pötter): occupational name for a maker of drinking and storage vessels from an agent derivative of Middle English Middle Low German pot. In the Middle Ages the term covered workers in metal as well as earthenware and clay. In some cases also an Americanized form (translation into English) of Croatian Serbian and Slovenian Lončar ‘potter’ (see Loncar ) and probably also of cognates from some other languages e.g. Czech Hrnčíř (see Hrncir ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Porter, Petter, Otter, Rotter, Zotter, Cotter, Pott, Kolter, Matter

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Potter family from?

You can see how Potter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Potter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Potter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 846 Potter families living in Ontario. This was about 62% of all the recorded Potter's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Potter families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Potter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Potter ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Potter. 41% of Potter men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Potter women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Potter were Farmers Son and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Potter | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    41%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Farmers Son
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Housewife
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Potter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 759,000 census records available for the last name Potter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Potter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Potter

Passenger Lists

There are 146,000 immigration records available for the last name Potter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Potter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 112,000 military records available for the last name Potter. For the veterans among your Potter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Potter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Potter family history

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What is the average Potter lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Potter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Potter in 1941 was 42, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Potter

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