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Potman Family History

Potman Surname Meaning

From the Middle English given name Poteman, a pet form of Philipot (a diminutive of Philip) with the hypocoristic suffix -man. See Pott, Potkin, and Philpott, and compare Richard Potemay (‘kinsman of Pot’) 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Exceat in Westdean, Sussex).

Potman was introduced after the Norman Conquest, probably by Flemings who used -man as a hypocoristic suffix. Compare Bateman, Hickman, Human, and Pateman.

For a potter from Middle English pot, potte (see Pott) + man, synonymous with Potter. Stephen Poteman 1296-1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Brede, Sussex) could be the same man as Stephen Potter taxed in the same place in the 1332 subsidy along with Alan Poteman, but the forename Stephen is common and may belong to a different man.

Perhaps for someone who lived by a hole or pit from Middle English pot, potte (see Pott) + man. The surnames atte Potte and Poteman occur in E Sussex villages in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, but evidence to prove their synonymity is lacking.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016

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Where is the Potman family from?

You can see how Potman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Potman family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Potman families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Potman family living in Sussex. This was 100% of all the recorded Potman's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Potman families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Potman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

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What did your Potman ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Potman | Data not to scale

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer
50%
Medical Doctor
25%
Machine
25%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Typist
100%

What Potman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 493 census records available for the last name Potman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Potman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 114 immigration records available for the last name Potman. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 54 military records available for the last name Potman. For the veterans among your Potman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Potman lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Potman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Potman in 1966 was 60, and 71 in 2004.

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