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

Pohlman, 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 Pohlman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pohlman in America

Pohlman is the 8389th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pohlman surname appeared 3,945 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pohlman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pohlman 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 Pohlman

The surname Pohlman is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic word "pohl," which means "marsh" or "swamp," combined with the suffix "-man," indicating a person or resident. The name likely originated in a region known for its marshlands, such as northern Germany or the Netherlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pohlman can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from Bremen, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, including Pohleman, Pohlman, and Polman, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic changes over time.

During the 14th century, the Pohlman name gained prominence in the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. Records indicate that several Pohlman merchants and traders were active members of this influential organization.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Pohlman name was Johann Pohlman (1516-1589), a German theologian and reformer from Lübeck. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another prominent individual with the Pohlman surname was Carl Friedrich Pohlman (1779-1847), a German architect and urban planner. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the city of Leipzig, where he designed several notable buildings and public spaces.

During the 19th century, the Pohlman name spread to other parts of Europe and the Americas as individuals emigrated from their ancestral homelands. One remarkable figure was Johann Christian Pohlman (1810-1888), a German-American artist and engraver who was renowned for his intricate illustrations and engravings depicting scenes from the American Civil War.

In the 20th century, the Pohlman name gained recognition through individuals such as Paul Pohlman (1901-1983), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in the Art Deco style, including the iconic Gulf Building in Houston, Texas.

Throughout its history, the Pohlman surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, theologians, architects, artists, and urban planners, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who bore this name across different eras and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pohlman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!