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

Poer, 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 Poer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poer in America

Poer is the 38582nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poer surname appeared 573 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 Poer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poer 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 Poer

The surname POER has its origins in the Old English word 'pore', which means poor or humble. It is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely as a descriptive name for someone who was impoverished or of humble means.

The earliest known record of the surname POER dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Pore' in various counties across England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in different parts of the country by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the spelling of the name evolved to include variations such as 'Poor', 'Poure', and eventually 'POER'. These variations reflected regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

One notable early bearer of the POER surname was John POER, a 13th-century English nobleman who served as the Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset during the reign of King Henry III. His descendants continued to hold lands and titles in the region for several generations.

In the 14th century, the POER family had established a presence in Ireland, where the surname is also found. Sir Roger POER, born around 1300, was appointed as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland and held significant influence in the Anglo-Irish nobility.

Another prominent figure with the POER surname was Sir Richard POER, who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire and was a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII.

The POER surname can also be traced back to certain place names, such as Poer's Court in Gloucestershire, which was likely named after a landowner with the POER surname in the area.

Throughout its history, the POER surname has been associated with various occupations and social classes, from landed gentry to tradesmen and artisans, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore the name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poer

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

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

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

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