2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Polychronis
A surname of Greek origin meaning "long-lived" or "living for a long time".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Polychronis. That puts it at #139,228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Polychronis 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.
Polychronis appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#139,228
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Polychronis in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Polychronis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Polychronis
The surname POLYCHRONIS originates from Greece, dating back to the Byzantine era. It is derived from the Greek words "polys" meaning "much" and "chronos" meaning "time," suggesting a long-lasting or enduring lineage. The earliest records of this surname can be traced back to the 11th century in various regions of mainland Greece and the Greek islands.
One of the earliest documented instances of the POLYCHRONIS surname appears in a manuscript from the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, dated around 1050 AD. This manuscript mentions a monk named Theodoros POLYCHRONIS, indicating the surname's monastic origins. Additionally, a fresco in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Thessaloniki, dated to the late 12th century, depicts a nobleman named Nikephoros POLYCHRONIS.
In the 14th century, a renowned Byzantine scholar and philosopher, Georgios POLYCHRONIS, was born in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time. His works on logic, metaphysics, and theology were widely studied and influential.
During the Ottoman era, the POLYCHRONIS surname was prevalent among Greek communities in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, including regions of modern-day Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans. One notable figure was Konstantinos POLYCHRONIS, a Greek merchant and philanthropist born in Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey) in the late 18th century, who financed the construction of several schools and churches in his hometown.
Another prominent individual bearing the POLYCHRONIS surname was Alexandros POLYCHRONIS, a Greek revolutionary and military leader who played a crucial role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. He was born in the village of Kalavryta in 1790 and fought alongside other notable figures like Theodoros Kolokotronis.
In the 20th century, Georgios POLYCHRONIS, born in 1888 in Thessaloniki, gained recognition as a renowned Greek painter and art educator. His works, often depicting scenes from Greek mythology and folk traditions, are celebrated for their vibrant colors and expressive brushwork.
Over the centuries, the POLYCHRONIS surname has been associated with various place names and variations in spelling, such as POLYCHRONIADIS, POLYCHRONOPOULOS, and POLYCHRONAKIS, reflecting regional linguistic differences and influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Polychronis
Among Census respondents with the surname Polychronis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%.
The bar chart below shows how Polychronis bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Polychronis surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5%
- Unknown or suppressed2.5%
Timeline
Historical Census data for Polychronis
Polychronis appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+15 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,680 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 5,680 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
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Polychronis surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20002010
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #144,908 | #139,228 | 3.9% |
| Count | 105 | 120 | 14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Polychronis bearers went from 105 to 120 (+14.3% change). The surname moved up 5,680 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,908 to #139,228.
FAQ
Polychronis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Polychronis?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Polychronis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Polychronis?
Polychronis ranks #139,228 in the 2010 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 2010 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Polychronis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Polychronis.
Has Polychronis become more or less common over time?
Between 2000 and 2010, the surname Polychronis went from 105 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 15 (+14.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,908 to #139,228.
What does the Census say about the background of Polychronis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Polychronis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. These figures come from the 2010 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 Polychronis in the 2010 Census, accounting for 97.5%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Polychronis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (97.5%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Polychronis appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Polychronis mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "long-lived" or "living for a long time". 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 2010 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 Polychronis (0.04 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 surname Polychronis?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.