Polk
An Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Polloc meaning "territory near a pool".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Polk. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Polk today is around 91 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Polk births was 1917 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Polk. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Polk is about 91 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Polks were born before 1945.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Polk. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1917
8 babies that year
Average age
91
years old
1954 SSA rank
#4,233
Tracked since 1887
Popularity
Polk: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Polk from the 1880s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 29 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Polk by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Polk during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Polks live
Origin
Meaning and history of Polk
The name Polk has its origins in the Old English word "polk" or "polc," which meant "pool" or "small body of water." It is believed that the name originated as a surname in the Middle Ages, referring to someone who lived near a pool or marsh. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 12th century in England.
During the medieval period, the name Polk was relatively common in parts of England, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire. It was often spelled in various ways, such as Polke, Poulke, and Pulk, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Polk can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in several entries, indicating that individuals bearing the surname Polk were present in different parts of the country.
Over the centuries, the name Polk has been borne by several notable figures. One of the most famous was James K. Polk (1795-1849), who served as the 11th President of the United States from 1845 to 1849. He was a pivotal figure in the expansion of the United States, overseeing the acquisition of vast territories in the West and Southwest through the Mexican-American War.
Another prominent individual with the name Polk was Leonidas Polk (1806-1864), a renowned Episcopal bishop and Confederate general during the American Civil War. He was killed in action during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864.
In the arts, renowned American painter and writer Charles Polk (1857-1900) was a prominent figure in the late 19th century. He was known for his landscapes and genre paintings depicting rural life in the American South.
Gordon Polk (1923-2008) was an influential American architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of modern urban design principles during the latter half of the 20th century.
Lastly, Dennis Polk (1949-2008) was a celebrated American choreographer and dancer who made significant contributions to modern dance and choreography, particularly in the field of ballet.
While the name Polk has its roots in Old English and was initially used as a surname, it has since gained popularity as a given name, particularly in the United States, where it is often associated with the legacy of President James K. Polk.
People
Polk + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Polk as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Polk: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Polk?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Polk going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Polk a common name?
We classify Polk as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 80 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Polk most popular?
The single biggest year for Polk was 1917, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Polk is about 91 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Polk a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Polk in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.