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

Pouncy, 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 Pouncy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pouncy in America

Pouncy is the 20201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pouncy surname appeared 1,319 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pouncy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pouncy 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 Pouncy

The surname Pouncy is believed to have originated from the Norman French word "paunce," which means "paw" or "fist." This surname likely emerged in England during the 11th century, following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was initially adopted as a nickname for someone with large or powerful hands, perhaps a skilled fighter or craftsman.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known record of surnames in England, there are no direct mentions of the name Pouncy. However, variations like "Pauncefot" and "Pauncevile" can be found, indicating the presence of similar surnames derived from the same root word.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Pouncy dates back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, a Henry Pouncy is mentioned as a landholder in the area. This suggests that the Pouncy family had already established itself in the region by that time.

During the 14th century, the name Pouncy appeared in various locations across England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a John Pouncy is listed as a taxpayer in Wiltshire, indicating the family's presence in the area.

One notable historical figure with the surname Pouncy was Sir John Pouncy (1524-1587), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1585 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I for his services to the city and the Crown.

Another individual of note was Thomas Pouncy (1670-1753), an English traveler and writer who authored several books, including "A Voyage to the East Indies in 1673-1679" and "The Present State of the Islands in the Archipelago Sea." His accounts provided valuable insights into the cultures and societies he encountered during his travels.

In the 18th century, the Pouncy family had established a presence in the American colonies. One prominent member was John Pouncy (1720-1798), a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia. He played a significant role in the establishment of Richmond, serving as one of the city's first trustees and contributing to its early development.

Another notable figure was William Pouncy (1792-1876), a British naval officer and explorer. He served in the Royal Navy and was involved in several notable expeditions, including the exploration of the Arctic regions and the search for the Northwest Passage.

The surname Pouncy has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Pouncy's Hill in Gloucestershire and Pouncy's Lane in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from the presence of Pouncy families in those areas during earlier times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pouncy

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

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

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

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