2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Polys
A surname originating from the Greek word "poly" meaning many or multiple.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Polys. 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 Polys 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 Polys 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 Polys, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Polys
The surname Polys originates from Greece, with its earliest documented use dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "polis," meaning city or town, suggesting that the name may have originated from a specific locality or region within the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Polys surname can be found in the archives of the Greek Orthodox Church, where a certain Dimitrios Polys was mentioned as a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Thessaloniki during the late 1400s.
The Polys name has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Nikolaos Polys, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived in the 16th century and made significant contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy.
Another prominent bearer of the Polys surname was Ioannis Polys, a renowned military leader who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. His bravery and strategic prowess earned him a place in the annals of Greek history.
In the realm of the arts, the name Polys is associated with Alexandros Polys, a celebrated Greek painter and sculptor who lived in the late 19th century. His works, which often depicted scenes from Greek mythology and folklore, are widely admired and can be found in various museums and galleries across Greece.
Moving into the 20th century, one cannot overlook the legacy of Georgios Polys, a prominent Greek politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1946 to 1949. His efforts in rebuilding the country after the devastating effects of World War II were instrumental in shaping modern Greece.
While the Polys surname may have originated in Greece, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Greek diasporas. However, the rich history and cultural significance of this name remain deeply rooted in its Greek heritage, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of the Greek people and their contributions to the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Polys
Among Census respondents with the surname Polys, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Polys 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 Polys surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Polys
Polys 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,300 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-9 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,875 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 2,300 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 5,875 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 Polys 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 | #149,395 | #155,270 | -3.9% |
| Count | 110 | 101 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Polys bearers went from 110 to 101 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 5,875 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #155,270.
FAQ
Polys surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Polys?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Polys. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Polys?
Polys 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 Polys. 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 Polys.
Has Polys become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Polys went from 110 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Polys?
Among Census respondents with the surname Polys, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Polys in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Polys appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Polys (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 Polys mean?
A surname originating from the Greek word "poly" meaning many or multiple. 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 Polys (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 people have the last name Polys?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Polys on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.