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

Poley, 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 Poley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poley in America

Poley is the 25187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poley surname appeared 984 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 Poley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poley 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 Poley

The surname Poley has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the village of Poley in Suffolk, which was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Polei."

The name Poley is thought to have derived from the Old English words "pol" meaning "pool" or "marsh," and "ey" meaning "island." This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have lived on an island surrounded by marshy land or near a pool.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Poley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1195, where a William de Poley is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert de Poley in Suffolk. The Suffolk Feet of Fines from 1310 also mentions a John de Poley.

During the 16th century, the surname Poley was particularly prevalent in the county of Suffolk, where the village of Poley is located. Notable individuals from this period include John Poley (c.1515-1572), who served as a Member of Parliament for Thetford in 1555.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records across England. For instance, the baptism of John Poley was recorded in Saffron Walden, Essex, in 1619.

Moving into the 18th century, we find references to individuals such as Thomas Poley (1699-1765), who was a clergyman and author from Boxted, Suffolk. Another notable figure was Arthur Poley (1706-1785), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Ipswich from 1754 to 1780.

In the 19th century, the surname continued to be prevalent in Suffolk and other parts of England. One notable individual was Frederick John Poley (1830-1903), who was a successful businessman and philanthropist in London.

Throughout its history, the surname Poley has been associated with various occupations, including farmers, clergymen, landowners, and businessmen. While the name may have originated from a specific location in Suffolk, it has since spread across England and beyond, carried by individuals from various backgrounds and walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poley

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

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

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

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