UK surname
A surname referring to a person of Polish nationality or descent.
In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Polack surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 56, ranked #34,562, down from #20,467 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel and Walthamstow, Low Leyton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Polack is 111 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 40.4%.
1881 census count
94
Ranked #20,467
Modern count
56
2016, ranked #34,562
Peak year
1891
111 bearers
Map years
1
1891 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Polack surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Polack surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 34 | #27,194 |
| 1861 | historical | 39 | #29,099 |
| 1881 | historical | 94 | #20,467 |
| 1891 | historical | 111 | #22,421 |
| 1901 | historical | 97 | #23,227 |
| 1911 | historical | 87 | #24,147 |
| 1997 | modern | 65 | #31,141 |
| 1998 | modern | 66 | #31,387 |
| 1999 | modern | 67 | #31,409 |
| 2000 | modern | 71 | #31,082 |
| 2001 | modern | 67 | #31,297 |
| 2002 | modern | 71 | #31,351 |
| 2003 | modern | 67 | #31,796 |
| 2004 | modern | 61 | #32,581 |
| 2005 | modern | 53 | #33,528 |
| 2006 | modern | 52 | #33,923 |
| 2007 | modern | 60 | #33,539 |
| 2008 | modern | 60 | #33,743 |
| 2009 | modern | 60 | #33,989 |
| 2010 | modern | 59 | #34,273 |
| 2011 | modern | 56 | #34,450 |
| 2012 | modern | 55 | #34,565 |
| 2013 | modern | 60 | #34,378 |
| 2014 | modern | 62 | #34,281 |
| 2015 | modern | 58 | #34,470 |
| 2016 | modern | 56 | #34,562 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Rochester and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christ Church Spitalfields | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | St Mary Whitechapel | London (East Districts) |
| 3 | Walthamstow, Low Leyton | Essex |
| 4 | Rochester | Kent |
| 5 | St Dunstan Stepney | London (East Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Polack surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Polack, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Polack surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Polack household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Polack is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Polack is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Polack, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Polack is derived from the Polish word "Polak", which means "a Pole" or "a person from Poland". The name has its origins in Poland, and it was first used to identify individuals who were either born in Poland or had Polish ancestry.
The Polack surname can be traced back to the Middle Ages when surnames were first adopted in Poland. During this time, many people began to take on surnames that were based on their place of origin, occupation, or physical characteristics. The name Polack became a common surname for Polish immigrants and their descendants who settled in other parts of Europe or the Americas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Polack can be found in the Cracow Grod Court Records, which date back to the 15th century. In these records, several individuals with the surname Polack are mentioned, suggesting that the name was already well-established in Poland at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Polack. One such person was Jan Polack, a Polish military leader who fought against the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century. Another notable figure was Stanislaw Polack, a Polish economist and philosopher who lived in the 16th century and authored several influential works on economics and political theory.
In the 17th century, a Polish immigrant named Kazimierz Polack settled in the Netherlands, where he established a successful trading business. His descendants continued to use the surname Polack, and some of them later migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas.
Another individual worth mentioning is Maria Polack, a Polish-born writer and travel author who lived in the 19th century. She is best known for her book "Manners and Customs of the New Zealanders", which provided a detailed account of the indigenous Maori people and their culture.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Polack was Paul Polack, a German-born American physicist who made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II.
While the surname Polack is most commonly associated with Polish ancestry, it has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities who have either lived in Poland or have Polish roots. The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Pollack, Pollak, and Polak, but the core meaning and origin remain the same.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Polack surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 76 Polacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.29x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 76 | 8.29x |
| Yorkshire | 6 | 0.66x |
| Kent | 4 | 1.28x |
| Angus | 3 | 3.53x |
| Lancashire | 2 | 0.18x |
| Warwickshire | 2 | 0.87x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.22x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 26 Polacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 376.81x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Spitalfields London | 26 | 376.81x |
| Mile End Old Town | 13 | 89.84x |
| Whitechapel London | 11 | 121.68x |
| Hornsey | 8 | 69.03x |
| Old Artillery Ground | 8 | 1012.66x |
| Bethnal Green London | 7 | 17.58x |
| Rochester St Margaret | 4 | 121.21x |
| Sculcoates | 4 | 27.78x |
| Liff Benvie | 3 | 23.27x |
| Holy Trinity St Mary | 2 | 144.93x |
| Aston | 1 | 1.57x |
| Birmingham | 1 | 1.30x |
| Cheetham | 1 | 12.33x |
| Ealing | 1 | 12.21x |
| Hackney London | 1 | 1.95x |
| Lambeth | 1 | 1.25x |
| Liverpool | 1 | 1.51x |
| St George In East | 1 | 16.03x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Polack surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Polack surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Polack households.
FAQ
In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Polack surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 56 in 2016. That gives Polack a modern rank of #34,562.
A surname referring to a person of Polish nationality or descent.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Polack bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.