Poehlman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Poehlman

A surname derived from a place name related to an Old High German word meaning "from the pool."

Poehlman, 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 Poehlman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poehlman in America

Poehlman is the 45026th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poehlman surname appeared 476 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Poehlman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poehlman 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 45026 41522 8.10%
Count 476 494 -3.71%
Proportion per 100k 0.16 0.18 -11.76%

The history of the last name Poehlman

The surname Poehlman is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, where it was likely derived from a place name or an occupation.

One possible origin of the name Poehlman is that it stems from the Old German word "pohl," meaning "pool" or "marsh." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a marshy area or worked in a marsh-related occupation.

Another theory is that Poehlman is a variation of the surname Pohlmann, which is derived from the Old German word "pohln," meaning "to cultivate" or "to till." This indicates that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked as farmers or agricultural workers.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Poehlman can be found in various German historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is Johann Poehlman, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1624 to 1677.

In the 18th century, the name Poehlman appeared in various church records and official documents across Germany. One prominent individual with this surname was Johann Friedrich Poehlman, a German poet and writer who lived from 1738 to 1805.

As the surname spread throughout Europe, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Pohlmann, Pohlman, and Pöhlmann. In the 19th century, several individuals with the Poehlman surname made their mark in various fields.

One such person was Carl Poehlman, a German architect and city planner who lived from 1810 to 1876. He was known for his contributions to urban planning and his work on several notable buildings in Berlin.

Another notable figure was Robert Poehlman, a German-American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1854 to 1920. He made a significant impact in the field of education and supported various educational institutions in the United States.

In the 20th century, the Poehlman surname continued to be present across different parts of the world. One notable individual was Walter Poehlman, an American lawyer and judge who lived from 1894 to 1975. He served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Overall, the surname Poehlman has a rich history rooted in German culture and heritage, with its origins traced back to the Middle Ages. While the exact meaning and derivation of the name may vary, it has been associated with occupations, geographical locations, and notable individuals throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poehlman

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

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 Poehlman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.54% 450
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.89% 9
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.47% 7
Hispanic Origin 1.89% 9

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 Poehlman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.54% 96.15% -1.69%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.89% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.47% 1.21% 19.40%
Hispanic 1.89% 1.82% 3.77%

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 Poehlman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Poehlman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 12, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/poehlman-surname-popularity/.

"Poehlman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/poehlman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 12 August, 2025

Poehlman last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/poehlman-surname-popularity/.

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