2000
#97,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Poleon
A corruption or variant spelling of the French surname Poulion, itself derived from the name Paul.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 294 Americans carry the last name Poleon. That puts it at #80,054 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,165,831 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poleon 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
294
1 in 1,165,831
Census rank
#80,054
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
256
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 256 bearers of the surname Poleon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 80054th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poleon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.2%. The next largest groups are White (33.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poleon
The surname POLEON originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "poulain," meaning a colt or young horse. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with horses, such as a groom or stable hand.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name POLEON can be found in the Doomsday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Pullen." This document was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England, suggesting that the name had already spread to other parts of Europe by the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Polain" and "Pollain," which are closer to the modern spelling of POLEON. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.
During the Renaissance period, the POLEON surname became associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Jacques Poleon (1537-1592), a French theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the subject of natural law.
In the 17th century, Pierre Poleon (1610-1680) was a renowned French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Château de Vincennes and the Palais du Luxembourg.
Another notable bearer of the POLEON name was Marie-Thérèse Poleon (1718-1798), a French noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations for the poor and underprivileged.
During the 18th century, the POLEON surname also appeared in various place names, such as Poleonville, a small village in the Champagne region of France. This suggests that the name had become well-established in certain areas and may have been used to identify specific localities.
In the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Poleon (1815-1887) was a prominent French artist known for his landscape paintings, which often depicted rural scenes from his native Normandy region.
Throughout its history, the POLEON surname has been associated with a diverse range of individuals and occupations, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poleon
Among Census respondents with the surname Poleon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.2%. The next largest groups are White (33.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Poleon 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 Poleon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.2% · 154
- White33.2% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 9
- Two or more races2.7% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Poleon
Poleon 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
#91,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+28 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 5,867 places
2020
#80,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 256
+56 bearers (+28.0%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 11,927 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,848 | 172 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #91,981 | 200 | 0.07 | +28 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 5,867 places |
| 2020 | #80,054 | 256 | 0.09 | +56 bearers (+28.0%) | Up 11,927 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 Poleon 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 | #91,981 | #80,054 | 13.0% |
| Count | 200 | 256 | 28.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Poleon bearers went from 200 to 256 (+28.0% change). The surname moved up 11,927 positions in the national ranking, going from #91,981 to #80,054.
FAQ
Poleon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poleon?
Name Census estimates that about 294 living Americans carry the surname Poleon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,165,831 residents.
How common is Poleon?
Poleon ranks #80,054 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 256 people with the surname Poleon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (294), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Poleon.
Has Poleon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Poleon went from 200 recorded bearers to 256. That is an increase of 56 (+28.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #91,981 to #80,054.
What does the Census say about the background of Poleon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poleon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.2%. The next largest groups are White (33.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Poleon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.2% (154 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poleon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (60.2%), White (33.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Poleon (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 Poleon mean?
A corruption or variant spelling of the French surname Poulion, itself derived from the name Paul. 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 Poleon (0.09 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 people are called Poleon?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Poleon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.