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

Poehls, 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 Poehls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poehls in America

Poehls is the 59742nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poehls surname appeared 338 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 Poehls.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poehls 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 Poehls

The surname POEHLS is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old German word "pohel," which referred to a small hill or mound, suggesting that the name's earliest bearers may have resided near or on a hilly terrain.

The POEHLS name first appeared in historical records in the 14th century, primarily concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Variations in spelling, such as Poehle, Pohle, and Pöhle, were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One of the earliest documented references to the POEHLS surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval Saxon charters and documents, which mentions a "Heinrich Pohle" in an entry dated 1382.

In the 16th century, the POEHLS name gained prominence when Johannes Poehls, a Lutheran theologian and reformer, played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Born in 1505 in Nuremberg, he was a close associate of Martin Luther and contributed to the translation of the Bible into German.

During the 17th century, the POEHLS surname was associated with several notable figures, including Hans Poehls (1590-1658), a renowned painter and engraver from Augsburg, and Georg Poehls (1629-1697), a celebrated composer and organist based in Dresden.

In the 18th century, the POEHLS name gained recognition through the works of Johann Friedrich Poehls (1718-1792), a German philosopher and educator who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig and authored several influential treatises on ethics and education.

The 19th century saw the emergence of Karl Poehls (1819-1887), a prominent German businessman and industrialist who founded the Poehls Steel Company, which played a significant role in the industrialization of Germany during that era.

As the POEHLS family spread across Europe and beyond, the name continued to be associated with various professions and fields, from academia to the arts, and from business to politics, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of numerous societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poehls

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

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

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

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