Polchies
A surname derived from a place name or an occupation related to farming or agriculture.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Polchies. That puts it at #152,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Polchies 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.
Polchies appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#152,628
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Polchies in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Polchies, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.1%) and Two or More Races (16.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Polchies
The surname POLCHIES has its origins in the Netherlands, emerging in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "polch," which referred to a small pond or pool of water, suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals residing near such bodies of water or perhaps engaged in occupations related to them.
Records from the Dutch province of Friesland show the earliest known instances of the POLCHIES surname, with variations in spelling such as "Polchis" and "Polchijs" appearing in municipal archives and church registries from the late 1500s. This region, known for its extensive network of canals and waterways, likely contributed to the surname's development.
The POLCHIES name gained prominence in the 17th century, with notable figures like Pieter Polchies (1627-1692), a renowned merchant and shipowner from Amsterdam. His successful trading ventures with the Dutch East Indies Company helped establish the family's wealth and influence.
Another noteworthy individual was Johanna Polchies (1712-1789), a celebrated artist from Delft known for her intricate still-life paintings. Her works can be found in prestigious collections across Europe, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
In the 18th century, the POLCHIES surname made its way to the British Isles, with records indicating the presence of Jacob Polchies (1745-1821), a skilled clockmaker who settled in London and became a respected member of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.
The 19th century brought further recognition to the POLCHIES name, with Willem Polchies (1854-1932), a pioneering engineer from Rotterdam. His innovative designs for hydraulic systems and water management techniques were widely implemented throughout the Netherlands and beyond.
Across the centuries, the POLCHIES surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name. While its origins may be rooted in the Dutch landscape, the POLCHIES legacy has extended far beyond its initial geographic boundaries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Polchies
Among Census respondents with the surname Polchies, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.1%) and Two or More Races (16.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Polchies bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Polchies surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native48.6%
- White27.1%
- Two or more races16.8%
- Hispanic or Latino5.6%
- Unknown or suppressed1.9%
FAQ
Polchies surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Polchies?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Polchies. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Polchies?
Polchies ranks #152,628 in the 2010 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 2010 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Polchies. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Polchies.
Has Polchies become more or less common over time?
Polchies appears here with 2010 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Polchies?
Among Census respondents with the surname Polchies, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.1%) and Two or More Races (16.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Polchies in the 2010 Census, accounting for 48.6%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Polchies appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (48.6%), White (27.1%), Two or More Races (16.8%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Polchies appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Polchies mean?
A surname derived from a place name or an occupation related to farming or agriculture. 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 2010 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 Polchies (0.04 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 common is the surname Polchies?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Polchies on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.