Find out how popular the last name Pohlen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pohlen.
A German surname derived from the Polish place name, indicating geographic origin.
Pohlen, 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 Pohlen surname is from the 2010 census data.
Pohlen is the 76768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Pohlen surname appeared 250 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 Pohlen.
We can also compare 2010 data for Pohlen 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 | 76768 | 75466 | 1.71% |
| Count | 250 | 238 | 4.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.09 | -11.76% |
The surname POHLEN originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "pol," meaning a meadow or field, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived or worked in a meadow or field area.
The name POHLEN is closely linked to the region of Saxony in eastern Germany, where it was particularly prevalent in the Middle Ages. Historical records indicate that the name appeared in various forms, such as Pohlen, Pöhlen, and Poehlen, reflecting regional dialectal variations.
One of the earliest documented references to the name POHLEN can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval charters and documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This codex mentions individuals with the surname POHLEN in connection with land transactions and legal proceedings.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the POHLEN name gained prominence in various parts of Germany, including Saxony, Silesia, and Brandenburg. Several notable individuals bore this surname, such as Johann Pohlen (1528-1596), a Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Pohlen (1675-1737), a German architect and builder who designed several churches and palaces in Saxony, including the Pillnitz Palace in Dresden.
In the 18th century, the POHLEN name appeared in the records of the Prussian Army, with several officers and soldiers bearing this surname. One such individual was Friedrich von Pohlen (1742-1810), a Prussian general who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
The 19th century saw the POHLEN name spread further across Germany and into neighboring countries. One notable figure was Robert Pohlen (1853-1927), a German businessman and industrialist who founded the Pohlen-Werke, a major steel and machinery manufacturing company in Cologne.
Throughout its history, the surname POHLEN has been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Pohlenz, Pohlheim, and Pohlsee, suggesting that the name may have originated from or been influenced by these locations.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pohlen.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pohlen was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 96.80% | 242 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 2.40% | 6 |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Pohlen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.80% | 99.16% | -2.41% |
| Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Two or More Races | 2.40% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
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 Pohlen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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