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

Polkey, 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 Polkey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Polkey in America

Polkey is the 86314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Polkey surname appeared 216 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 Polkey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Polkey 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 Polkey

The surname Polkey is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'pol' meaning a pool or stream, and 'ey' meaning an island or dry ground. It is believed to have originated during the 11th century in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset in southern England.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Polkey appears in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. An entry in this document mentions a landowner named Reginald de Polkeye, who held estates in the village of Polkey, now known as Polkee, in Dorset.

In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Polkey who was a prominent landowner in the village of Polkey. His descendants continued to hold land in the area for several generations, and the name gradually evolved to its modern spelling of Polkey.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Polkey (1520-1589), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as an alderman and Sheriff of the City of London in 1570.

Another historical figure with the surname Polkey was Captain John Polkey (1680-1745), a British naval officer who participated in several battles during the War of the Spanish Succession. He later served as a magistrate in Hampshire.

In the 18th century, the Polkey family had established a presence in the county of Somerset, where they were prominent landowners and farmers. One member of this branch was William Polkey (1732-1803), a successful businessman and landowner in the village of Polkey Hill, near Taunton.

During the 19th century, the Polkey surname spread across various parts of England, with notable bearers including John Polkey (1810-1892), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Bristol.

Another individual of note was Emily Polkey (1845-1924), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first girls' schools in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Polkey

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

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

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

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