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

Polter, 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 Polter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Polter in America

Polter is the 73666th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Polter surname appeared 263 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Polter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Polter 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 Polter

The surname Polter is of German origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "polter," which means "to make a loud noise" or "to clatter." This surname was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was known for being noisy or boisterous.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Polter can be found in various German historical records from the 1500s. One notable mention is in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Saxony, where a family by the name of Polter is documented in the town of Zwickau in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Polter name appeared in the records of the city of Cologne, where a certain Hans Polter was listed as a merchant in the year 1628. This suggests that the name had spread from its original region in eastern Germany to other parts of the country.

During the 18th century, the Polter surname was also found in the records of the town of Memmingen in Bavaria, where a family by that name was prominent in the local brewing industry. One of the most renowned members of this family was Johann Polter (1712-1789), who established a successful brewery that continued to operate for several generations.

Another notable figure with the Polter surname was Friedrich Polter (1820-1892), a German theologian and philosopher from Saxony. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and is known for his works on ethics and the philosophy of religion.

In the 19th century, the name Polter also appeared in the records of the town of Emmerich in the Rhineland region of Germany. One of the most famous individuals from this area was the writer and poet Wilhelm Polter (1864-1928), who gained recognition for his works depicting the rural life and traditions of the Rhineland.

Throughout its history, the surname Polter has been associated with various occupations, ranging from merchants and brewers to academics and writers. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a well-established surname with a rich heritage in German culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Polter

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Polter, please contact us.

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