2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pollesch
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Polish word "pole" (field).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Pollesch. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pollesch 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Pollesch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pollesch
The surname POLLESCH is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Saxony and Brandenburg, where it was likely derived from the German word "Polle," meaning a small pool or puddle.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as "Pollesch" and "Pollisch," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that era. The first documented mention of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Bitterfeld, dating back to 1587.
One of the earliest known bearers of the POLLESCH surname was Hans Pollesch, a farmer who lived in the village of Großkmehlen near Cottbus in the late 16th century. His name is recorded in the local tax registers from 1592.
In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, including the regions of Silesia and East Prussia. A notable figure from this period was Johann Pollesch, a merchant and landowner born in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) in 1634.
As the POLLESCH name gained prominence, it was often associated with certain occupations or geographical locations. For instance, in the 18th century, there was a family of millers in the town of Mühlhausen, Thuringia, who bore the surname Pollesch. One of their descendants, Friedrich Pollesch (1783-1862), became a respected educator and author.
Another significant figure in the history of the POLLESCH name was Carl Pollesch, a prominent lawyer and politician who lived in Berlin during the late 19th century. Born in 1842, he served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and was known for his advocacy of social reform.
In the 20th century, the POLLESCH surname gained recognition in the field of art and literature. Notable individuals include the German playwright and director René Pollesch, born in 1962, and the Austrian novelist and essayist Ursula Pollesch, born in 1937.
While the POLLESCH name has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by emigrants and their descendants. However, its earliest roots and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the regions of central and eastern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pollesch
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pollesch 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 Pollesch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 103
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pollesch
Pollesch appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,275 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 Pollesch 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 | #145,220 | #146,495 | -0.9% |
| Count | 114 | 114 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pollesch bearers went from 114 to 114 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,275 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #146,495.
FAQ
Pollesch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pollesch?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Pollesch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Pollesch?
Pollesch ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Pollesch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Pollesch.
Has Pollesch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pollesch went from 114 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Pollesch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (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 Pollesch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pollesch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (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 Pollesch (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 Pollesch mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Polish word "pole" (field). 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 Pollesch (0.04 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 Pollesch?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.