NameCensus.

UK surname

Pohl

Derived from the German word for "pool" or "pond," likely referring to someone who lived near such a feature.

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Pohl surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 216, ranked #18,613, up from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lewisham and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harlow, Newport and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pohl is 224 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 170.0%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

216

2016, ranked #18,613

Peak year

2014

224 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pohl had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016, ranked #18,613.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 146 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Pohl surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pohl surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pohl surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pohl over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 24 #29,038
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 138 #18,955
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 185 #18,973
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 186 #19,055
2001 modern 184 #18,907
2002 modern 177 #19,759
2003 modern 175 #19,690
2004 modern 185 #19,114
2005 modern 180 #19,395
2006 modern 178 #19,666
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 187 #19,465
2009 modern 199 #19,090
2010 modern 206 #19,066
2011 modern 221 #18,039
2012 modern 217 #18,184
2013 modern 222 #18,198
2014 modern 224 #18,202
2015 modern 218 #18,478
2016 modern 216 #18,613

Geography

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Where Pohls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lewisham, St Leonard Shoreditch and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harlow, Newport, East Devon, Epping Forest and Havering. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Lewisham London (South Districts)
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harlow 007 Harlow
2 Newport 020 Newport
3 East Devon 008 East Devon
4 Epping Forest 003 Epping Forest
5 Havering 012 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pohl

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pohl surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pohl

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pohl, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Pohl surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Pohl household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pohl is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pohl is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pohl falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pohl is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pohl, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pohl

The surname Pohl is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "pol" or "pol(e)", meaning "pool" or "marsh". It likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a swampy or marshy area.

The earliest known record of the name Pohl dates back to the 13th century in the German region of Saxony. The name was also found in various historical documents such as town records and tax rolls in other parts of Germany, including Bavaria and Silesia.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pohl was Johannes Pohl, a German cleric and author who lived in the late 15th century. He wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 16th century, the name Pohl appeared in the town of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in 1517. One notable Pohl from this time period was Hans Pohl, a merchant and supporter of Luther's Reformation movement.

During the 18th century, the Pohl surname was found in various German-speaking regions, including Austria. Johann Pohl (1720-1801) was an Austrian botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in his country.

As the German-speaking population migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas, the surname Pohl spread as well. In the 19th century, Johann Emanuel Pohl (1782-1834) was a German-born botanist and explorer who traveled extensively in Brazil, documenting the flora and fauna of the region.

Another notable individual with the Pohl surname was Robert Pohl (1857-1927), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Chicago, including the Auditorium Building and the Garrick Theater.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pohl families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pohl surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 39 Pohls recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.00x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 39 5.00x
Lancashire 20 2.16x
Surrey 14 3.68x
Yorkshire 3 0.39x
Devon 2 1.23x
Hertfordshire 1 1.86x
Lanarkshire 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 16 Pohls recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.20x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 16 47.20x
Camberwell 10 20.06x
Islington London 8 10.58x
Blackley 7 432.10x
West Derby 7 25.84x
Clerkenwell London 5 27.14x
Clapham 4 40.98x
Kensington London 4 9.22x
Westminster St James 4 49.88x
Garston 3 109.89x
Stretford 3 58.94x
Dawlish 2 165.29x
Bradford 1 5.34x
Govan 1 1.60x
Hitchin 1 41.15x
Horton In Bradford 1 8.28x
Manningham 1 10.49x
St Augustine Watling 1 2500.00x
St Pancras London 1 1.59x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pohl surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Eliza 5
Emma 3
A. 2
Ann 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amanda 1
Annie 1
Arabella 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizabeth 1
Fanny 1
Harper 1
Jenny 1
Josephine 1
M. 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pohl surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 4
John 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Adolphus 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Emanuel 1
Emil 1
Felix 1
Franz 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
George 1
J. 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Justus 1
Karl 1
Otto 1
Robert 1
Theodore 1
Wilhelm 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Pohl households.

FAQ

Pohl surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pohl surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Pohl surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pohl surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016. That gives Pohl a modern rank of #18,613.

What does the Pohl surname mean?

Derived from the German word for "pool" or "pond," likely referring to someone who lived near such a feature.

What does the Pohl map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pohl bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.