2000
#6,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,796
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.78
Rare Last name
Poulos
A Greek surname derived from the first name Paulos, meaning "small" or "humble."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,023 Americans carry the last name Poulos. That puts it at #7,333 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,237 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poulos 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.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,237
Census rank
#7,333
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,380 bearers of the surname Poulos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7333rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poulos
The surname "Poulos" is of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word "poulos" which means "foal" or "young horse". It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the Byzantine era, when it was likely used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone associated with horses or the horse trade.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Poulos" can be traced back to the 13th century in regions of Greece, particularly in the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands. Historical records from this period, including church registers and tax documents, contain references to individuals bearing this surname.
One notable early bearer of the surname "Poulos" was Georgios Poulos, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th century. He was renowned for his writings on religious philosophy and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time.
In the 16th century, the surname "Poulos" was also found in records from the Venetian-controlled regions of Greece, such as the Ionian Islands. During this period, a prominent figure named Ioannis Poulos was a merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in maritime trade between Greece and Italy.
The surname "Poulos" has also been recorded in various forms and spellings throughout history, including "Poulis", "Poulios", and "Poulakis". These variations often reflect regional dialects and linguistic adaptations over time.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Konstantinos Poulos, a military leader and strategist who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. His bravery and tactical skills earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
In the 20th century, Dimitrios Poulos, born in 1898, was a renowned Greek archaeologist and historian. His extensive work on excavations and research into ancient Greek civilizations made significant contributions to the field of archaeology.
It is worth noting that while the surname "Poulos" is predominantly Greek, it has also been adopted by individuals of Greek descent living in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant Greek communities, such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poulos
Among Census respondents with the surname Poulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Poulos 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 Poulos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 4,019
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 172
- Two or more races2.5% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 45
- Black or African American0.5% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Poulos
Poulos 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
#7,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,722
-74 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 571 places
2020
#7,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,380
-342 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,522 | 4,796 | 1.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,093 | 4,722 | 1.60 | -74 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 571 places |
| 2020 | #7,333 | 4,380 | 1.47 | -342 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 240 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 Poulos 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 | #7,093 | #7,333 | -3.4% |
| Count | 4,722 | 4,380 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.47 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Poulos bearers went from 4,722 to 4,380 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 240 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,093 to #7,333.
FAQ
Poulos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poulos?
Name Census estimates that about 5,023 living Americans carry the surname Poulos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,237 residents.
How common is Poulos?
Poulos ranks #7,333 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,380 people with the surname Poulos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,023), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Poulos.
Has Poulos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Poulos went from 4,722 recorded bearers to 4,380. That is a decrease of 342 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,093 to #7,333.
What does the Census say about the background of Poulos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poulos, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Poulos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (4,019 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poulos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Poulos (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 Poulos mean?
A Greek surname derived from the first name Paulos, meaning "small" or "humble." 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 Poulos (1.47 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 surname Poulos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.