2000
#3,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.08
Rare Last name
Poore
An English occupational surname referring to a poor person or someone who lived in poverty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,922 Americans carry the last name Poore. That puts it at #4,423 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,417 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poore 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 Poore with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,417
Census rank
#4,423
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,780 bearers of the surname Poore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4423rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poore, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poore
The surname Poore is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and it is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "poer," meaning poor or humble, suggesting that the first bearers of this surname may have been individuals of modest means or humble status.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Poore can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation carried out by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "le Poure," indicating its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
During the 13th century, the surname Poore was particularly prevalent in the counties of Wiltshire and Hampshire, where it is associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Richard Poore (c. 1190-1237), who served as Bishop of Salisbury from 1217 to 1228 and played a significant role in the construction of Salisbury Cathedral.
In the 14th century, the name Poore appeared in various forms, including "le Pouere," "le Poor," and "le Pore." This variation in spelling was common during this period, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized orthography.
During the Tudor period, the surname Poore gained further prominence with the rise of Sir Thomas Poore (c. 1505-1558), a prominent English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the county's affairs over the following centuries.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Poore was Edward Poore (1590-1674), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Coleshill in Warwickshire. His published works, including sermons and theological treatises, contributed to the intellectual discourse of his time.
As the centuries progressed, the Poore surname spread across various regions of England and even to other parts of the British Isles. Some notable individuals with this surname include Sir John Poore (1793-1876), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and William Poore (1861-1935), an English cricketer who played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
While the surname Poore may have originated from humble beginnings, its bearers have left their mark on various aspects of British history, including religion, politics, literature, and military service. This name serves as a testament to the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals who have shaped the cultural fabric of the nation over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poore
Among Census respondents with the surname Poore, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Poore 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 Poore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 6,909
- Two or more races3.6% · 277
- Black or African American3.4% · 262
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 246
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Poore
Poore 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
#4,315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,240
-81 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.79
Rank movement Down 393 places
2020
#4,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,780
-460 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Down 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,922 | 8,321 | 3.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,315 | 8,240 | 2.79 | -81 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 393 places |
| 2020 | #4,423 | 7,780 | 2.60 | -460 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 108 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 Poore 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 | #4,315 | #4,423 | -2.5% |
| Count | 8,240 | 7,780 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.79 | 2.60 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Poore bearers went from 8,240 to 7,780 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,315 to #4,423.
FAQ
Poore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poore?
Name Census estimates that about 8,922 living Americans carry the surname Poore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,417 residents.
How common is Poore?
Poore ranks #4,423 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,780 people with the surname Poore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,922), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Poore.
Has Poore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Poore went from 8,240 recorded bearers to 7,780. That is a decrease of 460 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,315 to #4,423.
What does the Census say about the background of Poore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poore, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.4%). 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 Poore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (6,909 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (3.4%). 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 Poore (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 Poore mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a poor person or someone who lived in poverty. 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 Poore (2.60 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 common is the surname Poore?
Want to know how many people have the surname Poore? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.