Pool last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Pool

An occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a pool, pond, or small body of water.

Pool, 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 Pool surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pool in America

Pool is the 2669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pool surname appeared 13,505 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Pool.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pool 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2669 2509 6.18%
Count 13,505 13,194 2.33%
Proportion per 100k 4.58 4.89 -6.55%

The history of the last name Pool

The surname POOL has its origins in the English language and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pol," which referred to a small body of water or a pool. This word was also used to describe people who lived near a pool or a pond.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POOL can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 11th century.

The surname POOL was particularly prevalent in areas of England where bodies of water, such as pools or ponds, were abundant. This included regions like Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire. Over time, the name also became associated with certain place names, such as Pooltown or Poolhampton, which further solidified its connection to bodies of water.

During the Middle Ages, the spelling of the surname varied, with forms like "Poole," "Pole," and "Poul" being common. This was due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

One notable individual with the surname POOL was Sir William Pool (c. 1380-1439), a prominent English politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Henry VI. Another notable figure was John Pool (c. 1504-1558), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs.

In the 17th century, the name was also associated with the Pool family of Shropshire, England. This family produced several notable figures, including Sir John Pool (1613-1685), a Royalist officer during the English Civil War, and Roger Pool (1639-1708), a lawyer and Member of Parliament.

As the centuries progressed, the surname POOL continued to spread across England and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields, including literature, science, and the arts. Some notable examples include Maria Pool (1773-1839), an English author and poet, and John Pool (1826-1884), an English zoologist and paleontologist.

Overall, the surname POOL has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was closely associated with bodies of water and certain geographical locations. Despite its humble origins, the name has been carried by many notable individuals throughout history, leaving a lasting impact on various aspects of society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pool

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

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 Pool was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 82.89% 11,194
Non-Hispanic Black Only 7.63% 1,030
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.43% 58
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.76% 103
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.85% 250
Hispanic Origin 6.44% 870

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 Pool has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 82.89% 85.69% -3.32%
Black 7.63% 7.48% 1.99%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.43% 0.52% -18.95%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.76% 0.76% 0.00%
Two or More Races 1.85% 1.34% 31.97%
Hispanic 6.44% 4.21% 41.88%

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

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

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"Pool last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/pool-surname-popularity/.

"Pool last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/pool-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Pool last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/pool-surname-popularity/.

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