2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Poloni
Means "from Poland" and refers to a geographic origin in Poland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 197 Americans carry the last name Poloni. That puts it at #109,465 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,739,870 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poloni 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
197
1 in 1,739,870
Census rank
#109,465
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
172
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 172 bearers of the surname Poloni in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 109465th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poloni, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poloni
The surname Poloni is of Italian origin, with roots tracing back to the 14th century in the region of Veneto, particularly in the city of Venice. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "Polo," which refers to someone from Poland or a person of Polish descent.
During the Middle Ages, Venice was a thriving center of trade and commerce, attracting merchants and travelers from various parts of Europe, including Poland. It is likely that the surname Poloni originated from individuals who had migrated from Poland to Venice, seeking economic opportunities or fleeing political turmoil in their homeland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Poloni can be found in the Venetian archives from the year 1382, where a merchant named Giovanni Poloni is mentioned in a trade document. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, a renowned figure named Marco Poloni (1412-1491) gained prominence as a renowned architect and sculptor in Venice. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings, including the Church of San Zaccaria and the Palazzo Ducale's Renaissance wing.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Antonio Poloni (1548-1624), a Venetian priest and scholar who authored several theological treatises and served as the rector of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice for over a decade.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Poloni family settled in the nearby city of Padua, where they established themselves as successful merchants and landowners. One member of this branch, Girolamo Poloni (1625-1698), achieved recognition as a respected jurist and served as a judge in the city's court system.
Across the centuries, the surname Poloni has been associated with various notable figures, including the Italian composer Francesco Poloni (1786-1856), whose works were performed throughout Europe during the Romantic era, and the 19th-century Italian poet and playwright Gian Battista Poloni (1822-1892), who was celebrated for his contributions to the Milanese literary scene.
While the surname Poloni has its roots in Italy, over time, it has spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals who have migrated or descended from Italian ancestors. However, its origins can be traced back to the vibrant cultural and commercial hub of Venice, where the name first gained prominence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poloni
Among Census respondents with the surname Poloni, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Poloni 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 Poloni surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino18.6% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 2
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Poloni
Poloni 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
#108,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
+17 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 2,920 places
2020
#109,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
+8 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 1,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #108,199 | 164 | 0.06 | +17 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 2,920 places |
| 2020 | #109,465 | 172 | 0.06 | +8 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 1,266 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 Poloni 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 | #108,199 | #109,465 | -1.2% |
| Count | 164 | 172 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Poloni bearers went from 164 to 172 (+4.9% change). The surname moved down 1,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,199 to #109,465.
FAQ
Poloni surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poloni?
Name Census estimates that about 197 living Americans carry the surname Poloni. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,739,870 residents.
How common is Poloni?
Poloni ranks #109,465 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 172 people with the surname Poloni. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (197), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Poloni.
Has Poloni become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Poloni went from 164 recorded bearers to 172. That is an increase of 8 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #108,199 to #109,465.
What does the Census say about the background of Poloni?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poloni, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Poloni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poloni appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Hispanic (18.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Poloni (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 Poloni mean?
Means "from Poland" and refers to a geographic origin in Poland. 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 Poloni (0.06 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 have the last name Poloni?
You can see how many people have the surname Poloni on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.