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

Pollard, 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 Pollard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pollard in America

Pollard is the 974th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pollard surname appeared 35,749 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Pollard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pollard 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 Pollard

The surname Pollard is of English origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "pollard," which referred to a person who pruned or pollarded trees, particularly willows and other trees used for making baskets and fences.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Pollard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Polard" and "Polart." This suggests that the name was already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, the name appears in various records as "Pollard," "Polard," and "Poillard." These variations in spelling were common during this period, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Pollard, a prominent landowner in Buckinghamshire, England, who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir Lewis Pollard, a member of the English gentry from Devon, who lived in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Pollard family gained prominence in Wiltshire, England, where they owned significant landholdings. One of the most notable members of this branch was Sir Hugh Pollard (c. 1535-1594), who served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the suppression of the Wyatt Rebellion.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, several Pollards played important roles on both sides of the conflict. Sir John Pollard (1608-1655) was a Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I, while John Pollard (1630-1703) was a prominent Parliamentarian and served as a judge during the Commonwealth period.

The Pollard surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Pollard's Hill in Surrey and Pollard's Wood in Oxfordshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who owned or resided in those areas.

Throughout history, the Pollard surname has been borne by many notable figures across various fields, including Sir John Pollard Willoughby (1817-1897), a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross; Robert Pollard (1932-2008), an American novelist and short story writer; and Amelia Pollard (1828-1906), an English artist and illustrator.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pollard

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

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

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

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