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

Poor, 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 Poor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poor in America

Poor is the 9800th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poor surname appeared 3,303 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Poor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poor 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 Poor

The surname Poor originated in England in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "pore," meaning poor or impoverished. The earliest recorded use of the name was in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where a man named Richard le Pore was mentioned.

In medieval England, surnames often denoted a person's occupation, physical appearance, or social status. The name Poor likely referred to someone who was of humble means or lived in poverty. It may have been a descriptive nickname given to a person who was considered poor or destitute.

The surname Poor can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Ralph le Poure in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 mention a John le Pore.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Poor was John le Poor, who was listed in the Patent Rolls of 1330 as a merchant from Bristol. Another notable early bearer of the name was William Pore, a Member of Parliament for Salisbury in 1376.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Poor became more widespread across England. Variations in spelling emerged, such as Poore, Poare, and Poar. Notable individuals from this period include Sir Henry Poore (1541-1628), an English lawyer and landowner, and John Poore (1615-1683), a Puritan minister and co-founder of the town of Newbury, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Poor (1728-1809) was a notable American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Andover, Massachusetts, and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Another prominent individual with the surname Poor was John Alfred Poor (1808-1900), an American engineer and writer who published several books on railway construction and management. He was also the founder of the Poor's Manual of Railroads, a widely-used reference publication for the railroad industry.

Throughout history, the surname Poor has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, landowners, soldiers, ministers, and writers. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been borne by many accomplished individuals over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poor

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

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

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

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