2000
#9,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,269
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Poulson
A patronymic surname derived from the personal name Paul, meaning "son of Paul."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,859 Americans carry the last name Poulson. That puts it at #9,281 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,819 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poulson 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 Poulson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,819
Census rank
#9,281
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,365 bearers of the surname Poulson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9281st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poulson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poulson
The surname Poulson is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Poul, which was a diminutive form of the name Paul. The name Paul has its roots in the Latin name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble." Poulson essentially translates to "son of Poul."
In the early records, the surname appears with various spellings, such as Paulson, Poulston, and Poultson, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England.
One notable historical reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which mention a Robert Poulson. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the lives of individuals during that period.
In the 16th century, the Poulson surname gained prominence with the birth of John Poulson (c. 1520-1573), an English churchman and author who served as the Dean of Bristol Cathedral. His writings on ecclesiastical matters were widely influential during the Reformation era.
Another notable figure was Robert Poulson (1630-1705), a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, England. He played a significant role in the development of the local economy and left a lasting impact on the region's commercial landscape.
Moving into the 18th century, Thomas Poulson (1720-1792) was a renowned English architect and surveyor. He designed several notable buildings in and around London, including the famous St. George's Church in Bloomsbury.
In the 19th century, the Poulson surname was associated with the British textile industry. William Poulson (1812-1888), a successful mill owner from Yorkshire, made significant contributions to the development of textile manufacturing techniques and the welfare of his workers.
Another notable figure from this period was Emily Poulson (1840-1915), a pioneering English educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for girls and women.
While the Poulson surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and various historical events. The name continues to hold significance as a representation of its English heritage and the individuals who have carried it throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poulson
Among Census respondents with the surname Poulson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Poulson 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 Poulson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 2,867
- Black or African American8.5% · 287
- Two or more races2.8% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Poulson
Poulson 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
#9,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,437
+168 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 295 places
2020
#9,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,365
-72 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,171 | 3,269 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,466 | 3,437 | 1.17 | +168 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 295 places |
| 2020 | #9,281 | 3,365 | 1.13 | -72 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 185 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 Poulson 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 | #9,466 | #9,281 | 2.0% |
| Count | 3,437 | 3,365 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.13 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Poulson bearers went from 3,437 to 3,365 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 185 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,466 to #9,281.
FAQ
Poulson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poulson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,859 living Americans carry the surname Poulson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,819 residents.
How common is Poulson?
Poulson ranks #9,281 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,365 people with the surname Poulson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,859), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Poulson.
Has Poulson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Poulson went from 3,437 recorded bearers to 3,365. That is a decrease of 72 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,466 to #9,281.
What does the Census say about the background of Poulson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poulson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Poulson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (2,867 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poulson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Black (8.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Poulson (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 Poulson mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the personal name Paul, meaning "son of Paul." 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 Poulson (1.13 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 Poulson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.