2000
#69,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Polish
An ethnic surname indicating origins or ancestry from Poland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 305 Americans carry the last name Polish. That puts it at #77,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,123,785 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Polish 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
305
1 in 1,123,785
Census rank
#77,676
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
266
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 266 bearers of the surname Polish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 77676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Polish, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Polish
The surname POLISH is an English habitational name derived from the country name Poland. It likely originated during the medieval period when many immigrants from Poland settled in various parts of England and adopted locational surnames based on their place of origin.
The earliest known record of the POLISH surname dates back to the late 13th century in Staffordshire, England. A John Poleys was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. This spelling variation suggests the name may have been derived from the Old English term "Polei" or "Poleyn," referring to a person from Poland.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Polleye and Polye, as seen in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. These variations reflect the inconsistent spelling practices of the time and the adaptation of the name to the local dialects.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the POLISH surname was Sir John Pollard (c. 1457-1537), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire during the reign of Henry VIII.
Another notable figure was John Polish (c. 1535-1594), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed for his religious beliefs during the Elizabethan era.
In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the marriage of William Polish and Elizabeth Browne in St. Giles Cripplegate, London, in 1629.
An influential figure bearing the POLISH surname was Sir Francis Pollock (1623-1701), an English lawyer and Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles II.
During the 18th century, the POLISH surname continued to be present in various regions of England. One notable individual was Ezekiel Polish (1718-1786), a prominent English merchant and landowner from Worcestershire.
As migration patterns changed over time, the POLISH surname spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where descendants of the original English bearers settled and established new roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Polish
Among Census respondents with the surname Polish, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Polish 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 Polish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 250
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 11
- Black or African American0.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Polish
Polish 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
#80,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 235
-27 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 10,824 places
2020
#77,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 266
+31 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 3,002 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #69,854 | 262 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #80,678 | 235 | 0.08 | -27 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 10,824 places |
| 2020 | #77,676 | 266 | 0.09 | +31 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 3,002 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 Polish 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 | #80,678 | #77,676 | 3.7% |
| Count | 235 | 266 | 13.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Polish bearers went from 235 to 266 (+13.2% change). The surname moved up 3,002 positions in the national ranking, going from #80,678 to #77,676.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Polish
FAQ
Polish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Polish?
Name Census estimates that about 305 living Americans carry the surname Polish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,123,785 residents.
How common is Polish?
Polish ranks #77,676 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 266 people with the surname Polish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (305), 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 Polish.
Has Polish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Polish went from 235 recorded bearers to 266. That is an increase of 31 (+13.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #80,678 to #77,676.
What does the Census say about the background of Polish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Polish, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Polish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Polish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (4.1%), Black (0.8%). 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 Polish (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 Polish mean?
An ethnic surname indicating origins or ancestry from Poland. 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 Polish (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 Polish?
You can see how many people have the surname Polish on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.