2000
#31,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 697
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Pollan
A surname derived from the Greek word "pollon" meaning "many," possibly referring to a prolific family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 802 Americans carry the last name Pollan. That puts it at #34,822 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 427,374 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pollan 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
802
1 in 427,374
Census rank
#34,822
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
699
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 699 bearers of the surname Pollan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34822nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pollan
The surname Pollan is believed to have originated in Italy and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is likely derived from the Italian word "polla," which translates to "chicken" or "hen." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupational name to someone who raised or dealt with poultry.
One of the earliest known records of the surname Pollan dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the historic Sicilian Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the island of Sicily. The name is also found in various town and village records from regions such as Calabria, Campania, and Puglia.
During the Renaissance period, the Pollan family gained prominence in the city of Naples, where they were involved in the trade and banking sectors. A notable figure from this era was Girolamo Pollan (1520-1587), a successful merchant and financier who played a significant role in the economic affairs of the Neapolitan kingdom.
In the 17th century, the Pollan name appeared in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, as some members of the family were accused of practicing Judaism in secret. This historical event sheds light on the religious persecution faced by certain individuals bearing this surname during that time.
Moving into the 18th century, the Pollan family continued to thrive in various parts of Italy. One noteworthy individual was Giovanni Battista Pollan (1732-1807), a renowned architect from Palermo who designed several churches and palaces in Sicily.
Another prominent figure with the Pollan surname was Giuseppe Pollan (1822-1891), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Italian parliament and was actively involved in the unification of Italy.
As the centuries progressed, the Pollan name spread to other parts of Europe, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Pollani, Pollano, and Pollani. Despite these variations, the surname has maintained its Italian roots and continues to be carried by individuals of Italian descent around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pollan
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pollan 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 Pollan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 614
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 54
- Two or more races2.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pollan
Pollan 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
#35,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 630
-67 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 4,245 places
2020
#34,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 699
+69 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 849 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,426 | 697 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,671 | 630 | 0.21 | -67 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 4,245 places |
| 2020 | #34,822 | 699 | 0.23 | +69 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 849 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 Pollan 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 | #35,671 | #34,822 | 2.4% |
| Count | 630 | 699 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.23 | 11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pollan bearers went from 630 to 699 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 849 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,671 to #34,822.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pollan
FAQ
Pollan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pollan?
Name Census estimates that about 802 living Americans carry the surname Pollan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 427,374 residents.
How common is Pollan?
Pollan ranks #34,822 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 699 people with the surname Pollan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (802), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Pollan.
Has Pollan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pollan went from 630 recorded bearers to 699. That is an increase of 69 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,671 to #34,822.
What does the Census say about the background of Pollan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Pollan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (614 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pollan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (7.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Pollan (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 Pollan mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word "pollon" meaning "many," possibly referring to a prolific family. 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 Pollan (0.23 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 share the surname Pollan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.