2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Polta
A surname of Eastern European origin, possibly derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Polta. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Polta 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Polta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Polta, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Polta
The surname Polta originates from Poland, with records of the name dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "połta," which refers to a type of cloth or flannel. The name may have been initially given to someone who worked with this fabric or wore clothing made from it.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Polta surname can be found in the records of the city of Krakow from the late 1500s. These records document a family with the surname Polta residing in the city during that time period. The name also appears in various parish records and tax registers from other regions of Poland in the 17th and 18th centuries.
While the Polta surname is primarily associated with Poland, it is also found in other parts of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with historical Polish influence. For instance, there are records of individuals with the surname Polta living in present-day Ukraine and Belarus during the 19th century.
Notable individuals who bore the Polta surname throughout history include Jan Polta (1670-1738), a Polish scholar and writer who authored several works on mathematics and astronomy. Another individual of note was Katarzyna Polta (1814-1892), a Polish philanthropist and social activist who founded several charitable organizations in the city of Poznan.
In the 20th century, Franciszek Polta (1905-1989) was a prominent Polish painter known for his landscape and portrait works. He had several exhibitions in major cities across Europe during his lifetime. Józef Polta (1928-2001) was a renowned Polish architect who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw and other Polish cities.
Stanisław Polta (1938-2015) was a Polish politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to several countries, including Germany and Russia, during his career. He played a significant role in Poland's international relations during the post-communist era.
While the Polta surname is relatively uncommon outside of Poland and Eastern Europe, it has a rich history and cultural significance in the region, with roots dating back several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Polta
Among Census respondents with the surname Polta, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Polta 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 Polta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Polta
Polta 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,665 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-16 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,665 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 13,162 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 Polta 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 | #142,108 | #155,270 | -9.3% |
| Count | 117 | 101 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Polta bearers went from 117 to 101 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 13,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #155,270.
FAQ
Polta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Polta?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Polta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Polta?
Polta ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Polta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Polta.
Has Polta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Polta went from 117 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Polta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Polta, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Polta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Polta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Polta (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 Polta mean?
A surname of Eastern European origin, possibly derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Polta (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Polta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.