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

Polkinghorne, 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 Polkinghorne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Polkinghorne in America

Polkinghorne is the 61123rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Polkinghorne surname appeared 329 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 Polkinghorne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Polkinghorne 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 Polkinghorne

The surname Polkinghorne originated in Cornwall, England, during the medieval period. It is derived from the place name "Polkinghorne," which is a combination of the Cornish words "pol" (meaning pool or pit) and "kyn" (meaning head or end), indicating a location at the end of a pool or pit.

This surname is believed to have first appeared in written records in the late 13th century, with one of the earliest known references being in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which mentioned a Richard de Polkynghorne.

The Polkinghorne family was prominent in the Cornish mining industry during the 16th and 17th centuries. John Polkinghorne (c. 1560-1635), a notable figure in the family, was a successful mine owner and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the Cornish tin mining industry.

In the 18th century, the Polkinghorne name appeared in various parish records throughout Cornwall, indicating the family's continued presence in the region. One notable individual was Reverend William Polkinghorne (1718-1788), a clergyman and writer who served as the vicar of St. Martin's Church in Looe, Cornwall.

During the 19th century, members of the Polkinghorne family migrated to other parts of the world, including Australia and North America. One prominent figure was John Cyril Polkinghorne (1823-1897), a Cornish mining engineer who played a crucial role in the development of the Australian mining industry.

Another notable individual was Sir John Polkinghorne (1863-1944), a British explorer and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of the Canadian railway system. He was knighted in 1918 for his services to the British Empire.

In more recent times, the Polkinghorne surname has been associated with notable figures in various fields, such as John Polkinghorne KBE FRS (1930-2021), an English theoretical physicist, theologian, and Anglican priest, who was a prominent voice in the dialogue between science and religion.

While the Polkinghorne surname has its roots in Cornwall, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with families bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Polkinghorne

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!