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

Polhemus, 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 Polhemus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Polhemus in America

Polhemus is the 21320th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Polhemus surname appeared 1,229 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 Polhemus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Polhemus 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 Polhemus

The surname Polhemus originates from the Netherlands, likely derived from the Dutch words "pol" meaning pool or marsh, and "huys" meaning house. It suggests a connection to a dwelling located near a marshy or wet area.

The earliest known record of the Polhemus name dates back to the 16th century in the Dutch provinces of North Holland and Utrecht. Variations in spelling included Polhemius, Polhemis, and Polheymus, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.

In historical records, the name appears in the 1623 census of New Netherland, a Dutch colony that encompassed parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Reverend Johannes Theodorus Polhemus, a Dutch Reformed minister who arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1654.

Another notable figure was Levi Polhemus (1766-1845), a American Revolutionary War soldier and landowner in New Jersey. His son, Abraham Polhemus (1796-1873), was a prominent businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn, New York.

In the 19th century, Elbert Polhemus (1831-1904) gained recognition as a successful banker and real estate developer in Brooklyn. His brother, Reverend Abraham Polhemus (1837-1909), was a respected minister in the Reformed Church in America.

The name Polhemus can also be traced to the village of Polhemus in the municipality of Weesp, Netherlands, which likely derived its name from the surname itself, suggesting the presence of a notable Polhemus family in that area.

Throughout history, various branches of the Polhemus family have made significant contributions in fields such as religion, military service, business, and politics, particularly in the Dutch and American contexts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Polhemus

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

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

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

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