Explore the Family Name Potvin
The meaning of Potvin
1. French Canadian: altered form of French Poitevin (see Poitevint). Compare Podvin 1 and Potwin. 2. In some cases possibly also French: variant (shortened form) of French Poitevin (see Poitevint, compare 1 above). 3. In some cases possibly also French and Walloon: shortened form of Potdevin, a metonymic occupational name for a wine merchant or a nickname for a wine drinker, from pot de vin ‘wine jar’. Compare Podvin 2. History: Most, if not all, of the American bearers of the surname Potvin are descendants of several 17th- and 18th-century French settlers whose original or secondary (dit) surname was Poitevin. Some characteristic forenames: French Lucien, Armand, Gilles, Alphonse, Andre, Cecile, Michel, Pierre, Adelard, Adrien, Aime, Benoit.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Potvin in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Potvin has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 11,823rd most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 12,421st spot, marking a drop of around 5.06%. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of people with the Potvin surname increased by 3.13% during the same period, rising from 2,427 in 2000 to 2,503 in 2010. This means that per 100,000 people, the proportion named Potvin decreased by about 5.56%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,823 | #12,421 | -5.06% |
| Count | 2,427 | 2,503 | 3.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.9 | 0.85 | -5.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Potvin
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts among those bearing the Potvin surname between 2000 and 2010. The majority identified as White, with a small decrease from 96.87% in 2000 to 96.4% in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.15% to 1.52%, while the percentage of individuals identifying as Two or more races rose from 0.74% to 0.84%. The category of Asian/Pacific Islander and Black appeared in 2010 with 0.68% and 0.28% respectively. Meanwhile, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native experienced a decline from 0.62% in 2000 to 0.28% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.87% | 96.4% | -0.49% |
| Hispanic | 1.15% | 1.52% | 32.17% |
| Two or More Races | 0.74% | 0.84% | 13.51% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.68% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.28% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.62% | 0.28% | -54.84% |