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

Pollock, 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 Pollock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pollock in America

Pollock is the 1543rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pollock surname appeared 23,310 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Pollock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pollock 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 Pollock

The surname Pollock has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "pol" and "loch," which together mean "a pool or small body of water." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a small lake or pond.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Pollock can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which document Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One such entry mentions John de Pollok, a landowner from the area now known as Renfrewshire.

In the 14th century, the Pollock family established themselves as a prominent clan in the area around Glasgow. The Pollok House, built in the late 18th century, served as their ancestral seat and is now a popular tourist attraction.

During the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Pollocks were known supporters of Robert the Bruce. In 1314, Sir Robert Pollock fought alongside the king at the Battle of Bannockburn, which proved to be a decisive victory for the Scots against the English.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Pollok, Pollokis, and Pollokke. The spelling "Pollock" became more standardized in the 17th century.

Noteworthy individuals with the surname Pollock include:

1. Sir John Pollock (1786-1872), a British Field Marshal who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
2. Walter Herries Pollock (1850-1926), a Scottish sculptor best known for his statue of Queen Victoria in Kensington Gardens, London.
3. Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement.
4. Graeme Pollock (born 1944), a South African cricketer who was one of the finest batsmen of his era.
5. Andy Pollock (1915-2009), an American baseball player who spent his entire career with the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles.

The Pollock surname has a rich history, deeply rooted in Scotland's past, and has been carried by individuals of great significance across various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pollock

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pollock, 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!