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

Ponder, 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 Ponder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ponder in America

Ponder is the 3044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ponder surname appeared 11,764 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Ponder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ponder 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 Ponder

The surname Ponder is of English origin, derived from the occupational name for a ponderer or someone who contemplates deeply. It is believed to have emerged in the late 13th or early 14th century from the Old English word "pondrian," which means "to weigh or consider."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Robert le Pondere." This suggests that the surname was already established in certain regions of England by the 14th century.

In the 15th century, variations of the spelling, such as "Pondour" and "Pundor," can be found in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Somerset and the Feet of Fines for Essex, respectively.

The name is also mentioned in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, although not in its modern form. It appears as "Pundere," referring to a landowner or tenant in the county of Somerset.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Ponder, a merchant and landowner who lived in the village of Braunston, Northamptonshire, in the late 15th century. He is recorded as having made substantial contributions to the construction of the local church.

Another notable individual with this surname was Richard Ponder, who was born in 1572 in Taunton, Somerset. He was a prominent clergyman and author, known for his works on theology and philosophy.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with Sir Isaac Ponder, a successful lawyer and member of the English Parliament. He was born in 1620 in Wiltshire and played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of his time.

During the 18th century, the name was associated with the Ponder family of Sussex, who were influential landowners and farmers. Thomas Ponder, born in 1705, was a respected member of this family and served as a local magistrate.

One of the most famous bearers of the Ponder surname was the English philosopher and mathematician, William Ponder, who lived from 1788 to 1858. He made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics and is considered a pioneer in the development of modern analytical philosophy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ponder

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

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

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

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