2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pollion
A topographic surname indicating one from an area of small hills or hillocks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Pollion. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pollion 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Pollion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollion, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.2%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pollion
The surname POLLION traces its origins to Italy, where it first emerged in the late medieval period. It likely derives from the Latin word "pollio," which means "young child" or "little one." The name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive term for a small or youthful person.
In the 14th century, records show the POLLION name appearing in various Italian regions, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. Early spellings included Pollione, Polioni, and Polliones, reflecting the influence of local dialects and scribal variations.
One of the earliest known references to the POLLION surname can be found in a 1387 document from the city of Bologna, which mentions a "Guglielmo Pollione" as a landowner. This suggests that the name had already gained a degree of prominence by the late 14th century.
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the POLLION surname. For instance, Alessandro Pollione (1460-1523) was a renowned architect from Padua, responsible for designing several churches and palaces in northern Italy. Another prominent figure was the humanist scholar Girolamo Pollione (1472-1538), who taught at the University of Padua and wrote extensively on classical literature.
In the 17th century, the POLLION name appeared in connection with the Venetian Republic. Marco Pollione (1612-1679) was a successful merchant and diplomat who represented Venetian interests in Constantinople and other Mediterranean ports. His son, Andrea Pollione (1648-1721), followed in his footsteps, serving as a Venetian ambassador to various European courts.
As the POLLION family expanded across Italy, the surname became associated with certain geographic areas. For example, the village of Pollione in the province of Biella was likely named after an early settler bearing the surname. Similarly, the town of Pollione Bresciano in Lombardy may have derived its name from POLLION inhabitants in the region.
Throughout the centuries, the POLLION name has been carried by numerous individuals, including artists, scholars, and professionals. While not an exhaustive list, a few notable figures include the painter Antonio Pollione (1781-1862), the jurist Francesco Pollione (1822-1896), and the architect Vincenzo Pollione (1869-1942).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pollion
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollion, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.2%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pollion 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 Pollion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.2% · 89
- White13.1% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pollion
Pollion 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,375 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-14 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 3,375 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 13,335 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 Pollion 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 | #138,304 | #151,639 | -9.6% |
| Count | 121 | 107 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pollion bearers went from 121 to 107 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 13,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #151,639.
FAQ
Pollion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pollion?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Pollion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Pollion?
Pollion ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Pollion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Pollion.
Has Pollion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pollion went from 121 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Pollion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pollion, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.2%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pollion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pollion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.2%), White (13.1%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Pollion (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 Pollion mean?
A topographic surname indicating one from an area of small hills or hillocks. 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 Pollion (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 common is the surname Pollion?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Pollion on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.