Poskitt
Possibly an English occupational surname deriving from the word "posket" referring to a basket or cup maker.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 103 Americans carry the last name Poskitt. That puts it at #157,234 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,327,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poskitt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Poskitt appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
103
1 in 3,327,712
Census rank
#157,234
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Poskitt in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 157234th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poskitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poskitt
The surname Poskitt has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "posc" and "hytte," meaning "a small dwelling or hut in a wood." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a secluded dwelling within a forested area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1195, where it appears as "Poskyt." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period, as they were often based on occupation, location, or physical characteristics and could be spelled differently depending on the scribe's interpretation.
The Poskitt name has its roots in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is closely associated with the village of Poskitt, now known as Poskitt Carr, located near the town of Skipton in North Yorkshire. This village likely took its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname Poskitt.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John Poskitt was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1265. These rolls were legal records that documented court proceedings and land transactions, indicating that the Poskitt family had established a presence in the area during that time.
Another historical reference to the name can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, which listed a William Poskitt as a taxpayer in the village of Gargrave, near Skipton. This record provides evidence of the family's continued presence and suggests they were landowners or individuals of some means.
Throughout the centuries, the Poskitt name has been associated with various professions and occupations. One notable individual was Sir Thomas Poskitt (1598-1679), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of York. He played a significant role in the city's affairs and was knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his contributions.
In the literary world, Ursula Poskitt (1929-2019) was a renowned children's author and illustrator, best known for her beloved series "Odd Ogre." Her imaginative stories and vibrant illustrations captivated generations of young readers.
Other notable figures with the Poskitt surname include:
1. Richard Poskitt (1793-1865), a prominent industrialist and engineer who contributed to the development of the textile industry in Yorkshire.
2. Reverend James Poskitt (1820-1892), an influential Anglican clergyman and author who served as the Dean of York from 1874 until his death.
3. Ellen Poskitt (1870-1957), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first girls' schools in Leeds.
4. Sir Walter Poskitt (1912-1998), a distinguished military officer who served in World War II and later became the Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in Germany during the Cold War era.
The surname Poskitt, with its roots in northern England and its association with various historical figures, has left an indelible mark on the region's history and cultural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poskitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Poskitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%.
The bar chart below shows how Poskitt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Poskitt surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3%
- Unknown or suppressed8.7%
FAQ
Poskitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poskitt?
Name Census estimates that about 103 living Americans carry the surname Poskitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,327,712 residents.
How common is Poskitt?
Poskitt ranks #157,234 in the 2010 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2010 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Poskitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (103), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Poskitt.
Has Poskitt become more or less common over time?
Poskitt appears here with 2010 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Poskitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poskitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Poskitt in the 2010 Census, accounting for 91.3%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poskitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (91.3%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Poskitt appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Poskitt mean?
Possibly an English occupational surname deriving from the word "posket" referring to a basket or cup maker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Poskitt (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Poskitt?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.