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

Poulton, 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 Poulton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poulton in America

Poulton is the 18431st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poulton surname appeared 1,502 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 Poulton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poulton 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 Poulton

The surname Poulton is of English origin, having its roots in the northern counties of England, particularly in areas like Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name Poulton, which itself is derived from the Old English words 'pol' meaning 'pool' or 'stream' and 'tun' meaning 'farm' or 'settlement'.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Poulton can be traced back to the late 12th century, with references found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195. During this time, the name was often spelled as 'Polton' or 'Poltun', reflecting the local dialectal variations.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places called 'Poltun' or 'Polton', indicating the existence of settlements with this name across various parts of England. One notable example is the entry for Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, which was recorded as 'Poltun'.

During the medieval period, the Poulton name was associated with several notable individuals. One example is John de Poulton, a 14th-century cleric and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1349 to 1361. Another is William Poulton, a 15th-century English merchant and trader who was involved in the wool trade with the Low Countries.

In the 16th century, the Poulton surname gained further prominence with figures like Thomas Poulton (c.1540-1595), a Catholic martyr executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs. Additionally, there was Sir John Poulton (1586-1645), an English politician and Member of Parliament who played a role in the English Civil War.

As the centuries progressed, the Poulton name continued to be found across various parts of England, with some bearers achieving notable positions. For instance, John Poulton (1637-1713) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton in Somerset. Another figure was Edward Poulton (1856-1943), a renowned British entomologist and evolutionary biologist who made significant contributions to the study of mimicry in butterflies.

Throughout history, the Poulton surname has maintained its connection to its locational origins, with many individuals bearing this name hailing from or having ancestral ties to the various settlements and townships called Poulton across England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poulton

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

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

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

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