2000
#74,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 242
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Pook
An English surname possibly derived from a place name or occupational term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 333 Americans carry the last name Pook. That puts it at #72,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,029,292 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pook 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pook with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
333
1 in 1,029,292
Census rank
#72,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
290
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 290 bearers of the surname Pook in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 72279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pook, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and Black (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pook
The surname POOK is believed to have originated in England in the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "puca", meaning a goblin or mischievous spirit. The name may have initially been used as a nickname for someone who was considered impish or playful.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1197, where a person named William Puk is mentioned. This early spelling variation suggests the name's roots in the Old English word.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Poke, Pooke, and Pook, in different regions of England. The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273 includes a reference to a Simon Poke, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 mention a John Pook.
The name is also associated with certain place names, such as Pook Hill in Hertfordshire and Pook Lane in Somerset, which may have influenced the surname's development and distribution.
Notable individuals with the surname POOK throughout history include:
1. William Pook (c. 1590-1668), an English clergyman and religious writer who served as the Rector of Brightwell, Berkshire.
2. John Pook (1737-1805), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Pacific Ocean with Captain James Cook.
3. Samuel Pook (1775-1841), an English engraver and artist known for his illustrations of Gothic architecture and historical buildings.
4. Mary Pook (1806-1891), a British novelist and children's author who wrote under the pseudonym "Aunt Judy".
5. George Pook (1865-1939), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.
While the surname POOK may have originated from a playful nickname, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, explorers, artists, authors, and sportsmen.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pook
Among Census respondents with the surname Pook, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and Black (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pook 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 Pook surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.4% · 213
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.7% · 28
- Black or African American9.3% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 10
- Two or more races3.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pook
Pook 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
#71,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 272
+30 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 2,720 places
2020
#72,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 290
+18 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 601 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74,398 | 242 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #71,678 | 272 | 0.09 | +30 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 2,720 places |
| 2020 | #72,279 | 290 | 0.10 | +18 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 601 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 Pook 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 | #71,678 | #72,279 | -0.8% |
| Count | 272 | 290 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.10 | 7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pook bearers went from 272 to 290 (+6.6% change). The surname moved down 601 positions in the national ranking, going from #71,678 to #72,279.
FAQ
Pook surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pook?
Name Census estimates that about 333 living Americans carry the surname Pook. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,029,292 residents.
How common is Pook?
Pook ranks #72,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 290 people with the surname Pook. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (333), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Pook.
Has Pook become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pook went from 272 recorded bearers to 290. That is an increase of 18 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #71,678 to #72,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Pook?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pook, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and Black (9.3%). 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 Pook in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (213 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pook appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%), Black (9.3%). 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 Pook (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 Pook mean?
An English surname possibly derived from a place name or occupational term. 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 Pook (0.10 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 Pook?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Pook, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.