Find out how popular the last name Paulk is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Paulk.

Paulk, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Paulk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paulk in America

Paulk is the 6206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paulk surname appeared 5,511 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Paulk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paulk to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Paulk

The surname Paulk is believed to have originated in the region of Germany during the medieval era. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Pohl," which means "Pole" or "Polish." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who either came from or had ancestral ties to Poland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Paulk surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Paulsdorf, located in the region of Saxony, Germany. In ancient records, the name was often spelled as "Pohle" or "Pohlen," which further reinforces its potential Polish origins.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johannes Paulk was mentioned in a manuscript detailing the construction of a church in the town of Eisleben, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This historical reference provides evidence of the surname's presence during that time period.

During the 16th century, the Paulk surname began to spread across various regions of Europe. Notable individuals from this era include Hans Paulk, a merchant born in 1532 in the city of Hamburg, Germany, and Wilhelm Paulk, a scholar and theologian born in 1587 in the town of Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt.

As the surname continued to evolve, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Paulke," "Paulke," and "Paulken." These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local interpretations of the name.

In the 18th century, the Paulk surname gained prominence in the United States, with several individuals bearing this name making significant contributions. One such figure was John Paulk, born in 1745 in Virginia, who served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War.

Another notable individual was William Paulk, born in 1781 in South Carolina, who became a respected landowner and farmer. His son, James Paulk, born in 1810, continued the family legacy as a prominent figure in the local community.

As the centuries progressed, the Paulk surname continued to spread across various regions, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paulk

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Paulk.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Paulk was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Paulk has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Paulk was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Paulk, please contact us.

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