2000
#9,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,075
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Polston
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Pol's town" or "settlement by the pool."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,503 Americans carry the last name Polston. That puts it at #10,057 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,846 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Polston 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
3.5K
1 in 97,846
Census rank
#10,057
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,055 bearers of the surname Polston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10057th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Polston, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Polston
The surname Polston is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the village of Polston, which is located in Northamptonshire, England. The name likely derives from the Old English words "pol" meaning "pool" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "village", suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have lived near a pool or pond.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Polston name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records from the reign of King Edward I. The entry lists a William de Polston, indicating that the surname was already in use during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Polstun, Polestun, and Polleston, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common before the standardization of English orthography. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 include a reference to a John de Polstun, while the Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 mention a Robertus Polleston.
The Polston surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Sir John Polston (1480-1557), who served as a member of the Privy Council during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another notable bearer of the name is William Polston (1622-1701), a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who played a significant role in the development of the wool trade in the region.
In the 17th century, the Polston family had a strong presence in the county of Worcestershire. Records from 1642 mention a Thomas Polston (1612-1678), a farmer and landowner from the village of Tenbury Wells. His son, John Polston (1645-1712), was a renowned clockmaker and horologist, known for his innovative designs and contributions to the field of timekeeping.
Another notable figure with the Polston surname is Mary Polston (1755-1832), a philanthropist and advocate for education in the city of Bristol. She founded several schools and charitable organizations dedicated to providing education and support to underprivileged children.
Over the centuries, the Polston name has undergone various spelling variations, including Polston, Polstone, Poulston, and Poulstone, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the historical village of Polston in Northamptonshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Polston
Among Census respondents with the surname Polston, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Polston 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 Polston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 2,717
- Two or more races3.9% · 118
- Black or African American2.9% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Polston
Polston 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
#9,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,295
+220 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 134 places
2020
#10,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,055
-240 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,693 | 3,075 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,827 | 3,295 | 1.12 | +220 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 134 places |
| 2020 | #10,057 | 3,055 | 1.02 | -240 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 230 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 Polston 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 | #9,827 | #10,057 | -2.3% |
| Count | 3,295 | 3,055 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.02 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Polston bearers went from 3,295 to 3,055 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 230 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,827 to #10,057.
FAQ
Polston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Polston?
Name Census estimates that about 3,503 living Americans carry the surname Polston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,846 residents.
How common is Polston?
Polston ranks #10,057 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,055 people with the surname Polston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,503), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Polston.
Has Polston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Polston went from 3,295 recorded bearers to 3,055. That is a decrease of 240 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,827 to #10,057.
What does the Census say about the background of Polston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Polston, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Polston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (2,717 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Polston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Black (2.9%). 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 Polston (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 Polston mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Pol's town" or "settlement by the pool." 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 Polston (1.02 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 Polston?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Polston, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.