2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pohly
A toponymic surname derived from a geographic location, possibly a place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Pohly. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pohly surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Pohly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pohly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pohly
The surname POHLY is believed to have originated in the Germanic regions of central Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Austria. The name likely dates back to the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
One theory suggests that POHLY is derived from the Old German word "polle," which referred to a small hill or a knoll. This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who lived near or on a hill or a raised landform. Alternatively, it may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked on or managed a hill or a raised area.
Another possible origin of the name POHLY is that it may be a variant spelling of the German surname "Pohl," which is thought to have been derived from the Slavic personal name "Pavel" or the German form "Paul." This connection could point to the name having been adopted by individuals of Slavic or Germanic descent.
In terms of historical records, the surname POHLY appears in various documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in regions of Germany and Austria. One notable example is Johann Georg Pohly, a German musician and composer who lived from 1785 to 1854. He was known for his contributions to the development of the trumpet and was highly regarded in his field.
Another notable individual with the surname POHLY was Carl Friedrich Pohly, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1789 to 1847. He was a prominent figure in the field of Protestant theology and authored several influential works on religious philosophy and ethics.
In the late 18th century, a prominent family with the surname POHLY resided in the town of Zittau, located in the eastern part of modern-day Germany. This family was known for their involvement in the local textile industry and their contributions to the economic development of the region.
Moving forward in time, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POHLY in the United States can be traced back to the mid-19th century, when several individuals with this name arrived as immigrants from Germany and Austria. One such individual was Johann Pohly, who settled in the state of Pennsylvania in the 1850s and worked as a farmer.
Throughout history, the surname POHLY has been associated with various notable figures across different fields, including music, theology, philosophy, and industry. While not an exhaustive list, these examples provide a glimpse into the rich history and origins of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pohly
Among Census respondents with the surname Pohly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pohly bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pohly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pohly
Pohly appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+7 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,401 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-13 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,050 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 2,401 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 10,050 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pohly surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #155,270 | -6.9% |
| Count | 114 | 101 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pohly bearers went from 114 to 101 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 10,050 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #155,270.
FAQ
Pohly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pohly?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Pohly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Pohly?
Pohly ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Pohly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pohly.
Has Pohly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pohly went from 114 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Pohly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pohly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pohly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pohly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pohly (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pohly mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a geographic location, possibly a place name in Germany. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pohly (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Pohly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.