2000
#2,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,194
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.89
Uncommon Last name
Pool
An occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a pool, pond, or small body of water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,699 Americans carry the last name Pool. That puts it at #2,736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pool 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 Pool with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,318
Census rank
#2,736
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,818 bearers of the surname Pool in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pool, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pool
Among Census respondents with the surname Pool, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pool 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 Pool surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 10,140
- Black or African American7.8% · 999
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 913
- Two or more races4.8% · 619
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 62
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pool
Pool 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
#2,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,505
+311 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 4.58
Rank movement Down 160 places
2020
#2,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,818
-687 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 4.29
Rank movement Down 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,509 | 13,194 | 4.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,669 | 13,505 | 4.58 | +311 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 160 places |
| 2020 | #2,736 | 12,818 | 4.29 | -687 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 67 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 Pool 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 | #2,669 | #2,736 | -2.5% |
| Count | 13,505 | 12,818 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.58 | 4.29 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pool bearers went from 13,505 to 12,818 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,669 to #2,736.
FAQ
Pool surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pool?
Name Census estimates that about 14,699 living Americans carry the surname Pool. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,318 residents.
How common is Pool?
Pool ranks #2,736 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,818 people with the surname Pool. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,699), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Pool.
Has Pool become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pool went from 13,505 recorded bearers to 12,818. That is a decrease of 687 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,669 to #2,736.
What does the Census say about the background of Pool?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pool, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Pool in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (10,140 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pool appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Black (7.8%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Pool (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 Pool mean?
An occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a pool, pond, or small body of water. 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 Pool (4.29 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 share the surname Pool?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.