2000
#7,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,022
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Polson
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Loch Eil in Lochaber, meaning "pool town" in Gaelic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,311 Americans carry the last name Polson. That puts it at #8,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Polson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Polson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,507
Census rank
#8,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,759 bearers of the surname Polson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Polson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Polson
The surname Polson originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "pol," meaning a pool or creek, and "tun," meaning a farm or settlement. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a pool or creek on a farm.
The earliest recorded instances of the Polson surname date back to the 13th century in the Scottish Borders region. One notable example is John de Polton, who is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording homages sworn to King Edward I of England.
During the 16th century, the Polson name appeared in various spellings, such as Poltoune, Poltoun, and Poulton, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Berwickshire, Roxburghshire, and Peeblesshire.
In the 17th century, records show the Polsons as landowners and farmers in the Scottish Borders region. One notable figure was Robert Polson (1603-1674), a Presbyterian minister and author who served as the minister of Cavers parish in Roxburghshire.
The 18th century saw the Polson name spread across Scotland and into England. John Polson (1736-1804) was a prominent Scottish businessman and merchant in Glasgow, known for his involvement in the tobacco trade and his support for the abolitionist movement.
As the Polson family migrated and settled in different parts of the world, the name took on various spellings, such as Polsen, Poulson, and Paulson. One notable individual was Jeremiah Polson (1788-1867), an American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Other notable individuals with the Polson surname include:
1. John Polson (1853-1922), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
2. Archibald Polson (1859-1935), a Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
3. Wilbur Polson (1890-1976), an American artist and illustrator known for his works in children's literature.
4. Arthur Polson (1894-1980), a Scottish professional footballer who played as a defender for several clubs, including Rangers and Motherwell.
5. Allison Polson (born 1975), a Canadian actress and producer known for her roles in television series such as Da Vinci's Inquest and Battlestar Galactica.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Polson
Among Census respondents with the surname Polson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Polson 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 Polson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 3,253
- Two or more races4.6% · 173
- Black or African American3.8% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Polson
Polson 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
#8,027
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,125
+103 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 404 places
2020
#8,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,759
-366 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 406 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,623 | 4,022 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,027 | 4,125 | 1.40 | +103 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 404 places |
| 2020 | #8,433 | 3,759 | 1.26 | -366 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 406 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 Polson 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 | #8,027 | #8,433 | -5.1% |
| Count | 4,125 | 3,759 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.26 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Polson bearers went from 4,125 to 3,759 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 406 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,027 to #8,433.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Polson
FAQ
Polson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Polson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,311 living Americans carry the surname Polson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,507 residents.
How common is Polson?
Polson ranks #8,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,759 people with the surname Polson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,311), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Polson.
Has Polson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Polson went from 4,125 recorded bearers to 3,759. That is a decrease of 366 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,027 to #8,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Polson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Polson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.8%). 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 Polson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (3,253 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Polson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (3.8%). 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 Polson (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 Polson mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Loch Eil in Lochaber, meaning "pool town" in Gaelic. 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 Polson (1.26 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 are called Polson?
Find out how many people are called Polson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.