NameCensus.

UK surname

Poland

A toponymic surname indicating an ancestor who came from Poland or a location within the country.

In the 1881 census there were 501 people recorded with the Poland surname, ranking it #6,766 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 791, ranked #6,984, down from #6,766 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes and Heene. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Kirkcudbright and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poland is 802 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.9%.

1881 census count

501

Ranked #6,766

Modern count

791

2016, ranked #6,984

Peak year

2014

802 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poland had 501 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,766 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 791 in 2016, ranked #6,984.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 550 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Poland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poland 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 274 #8,176
1861 historical 393 #6,524
1881 historical 501 #6,766
1891 historical 550 #6,881
1901 historical 518 #7,842
1911 historical 546 #7,331
1997 modern 735 #6,979
1998 modern 775 #6,934
1999 modern 765 #7,031
2000 modern 763 #7,016
2001 modern 737 #7,078
2002 modern 753 #7,088
2003 modern 754 #6,990
2004 modern 761 #6,948
2005 modern 760 #6,886
2006 modern 752 #6,972
2007 modern 757 #7,000
2008 modern 746 #7,135
2009 modern 763 #7,158
2010 modern 778 #7,179
2011 modern 780 #7,093
2012 modern 794 #6,874
2013 modern 799 #6,961
2014 modern 802 #6,989
2015 modern 794 #6,980
2016 modern 791 #6,984

Geography

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Where Polands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes, Heene 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 Rother, Kirkcudbright, Swansea and Worthing. 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 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Heene Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 001 Rother
2 Kirkcudbright Dumfries and Galloway
3 Swansea 014 Swansea
4 Worthing 005 Worthing
5 Worthing 008 Worthing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Poland, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Poland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Poland 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Poland is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Poland is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Poland falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Poland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Poland

The surname POLAND is derived from the name of the country Poland, which is located in Central Europe. It is believed that this surname originated in the British Isles during the medieval period, possibly as a descriptive name for someone who had immigrated from Poland or had some association with the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POLAND can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a person named John de Polania was listed. The use of the prefix "de" suggests that the name was originally a locational surname, indicating a connection to a place called Polania or a variant spelling.

In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, there is a record of a person named William de Polonia, which is likely another early variation of the surname POLAND. These early records demonstrate that the surname was already in use in England by the late 13th century.

The surname POLAND may also have been derived from various place names in England that incorporated the word "Poland" or a similar spelling. For example, there is a village called Poland in Gloucestershire, and there were historical references to places called Poloniae and Polonya in other parts of England.

Among the notable individuals who have borne the surname POLAND throughout history are:

1. Sir John Poland (c. 1470-1547), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1522. 2. John Poland (1607-1660), an English politician and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War. 3. William Poland (1834-1898), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire County Cricket Club in the 19th century. 4. Joseph Poland (1909-1998), an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox and New York Giants in the 1930s. 5. Harry Poland (1922-2018), a British actor and playwright who had a successful career on stage and television.

While the surname POLAND has its roots in England and may have originated as a locational name, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has been adopted by people of various ethnic backgrounds.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poland 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. Lancashire leads with 89 Polands recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.49x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 89 1.49x
Sussex 85 10.02x
Middlesex 83 1.65x
Surrey 38 1.55x
Lanarkshire 32 1.97x
Devon 25 2.39x
Ayrshire 19 5.04x
Hampshire 16 1.55x
Cumberland 15 3.46x
Angus 14 3.00x
Isle of Man 12 12.84x
Kent 11 0.64x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 15.10x
Cheshire 10 0.90x
Derbyshire 9 1.14x
Lincolnshire 5 0.62x
Northamptonshire 5 1.06x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.74x
Yorkshire 5 0.10x
Durham 3 0.20x
Royal Navy 3 5.00x
Shropshire 3 0.69x
Wigtownshire 3 4.49x
Worcestershire 3 0.46x
Channel Islands 2 1.34x
Dumfriesshire 2 1.80x
Perthshire 2 0.89x
Renfrewshire 2 0.51x
Brecknockshire 1 0.99x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Monmouthshire 1 0.27x
Northumberland 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 36 Polands recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.92x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 36 9.92x
Broadwater 31 159.22x
Paddington London 21 11.35x
Kirkdale 17 16.92x
Dalry 15 84.60x
Govan 15 3.73x
Heene 15 1027.40x
Liff Benvie 14 19.78x
St Pancras London 14 3.46x
Toxteth Park 13 6.43x
Onchan 12 44.56x
Boxgrove 11 894.31x
Islington London 10 2.05x
Battersea 9 4.86x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 9 418.60x
St Anne Soho London 9 31.32x
East Lavant 8 1159.42x
Portsea 8 3.96x
Stanton Newhall 8 316.21x
Urr 8 84.39x
Barony 7 1.70x
Guildford St Nicholas 7 161.66x
Plymouth Charles The 7 15.16x
Streatham 7 18.74x
Whitehaven 7 30.30x
Birkenhead 6 6.77x
Northwood 6 40.84x
Paignton 6 75.28x
Westhampnett 6 666.67x
Cambusnethan 5 13.83x
Great Bolton 5 6.32x
Holy Trinity 5 4.17x
Kensington London 5 1.79x
Littlehampton 5 73.86x
Poplar London 5 5.26x
St Marylebone London 5 1.86x
Cleator 4 22.17x
Clee With Weelsby 4 22.70x
Dalmellington 4 36.10x
Everton 4 2.10x
Glasgow 4 1.38x
Greenwich 4 4.99x
Lewisham 4 4.37x
Stanwell 4 107.24x
Thrapston 4 168.07x
Wandsworth 4 8.26x
West Derby 4 2.29x
Gateshead 3 2.68x
Kirkcudbright 3 49.75x
Northfield 3 24.06x
Nottingham St Mary 3 1.71x
Richmond 3 8.73x
Royal Navy 3 5.85x
Shrewsbury St Mary 3 17.48x
St George Bloomsbury 3 10.39x
Stockport 3 5.25x
Abbey 2 3.36x
Brighton 2 1.17x
Camberwell 2 0.62x
Cheetham 2 4.49x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.68x
Crosscanonby 2 13.96x
Crumpsall 2 14.20x
Devonport 2 16.61x
Kirkcowan 2 88.89x
Lochmaben 2 41.07x
Oving 2 69.69x
Perth St Pauls 2 38.24x
Salford 2 1.14x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.97x
St George Hanover 2 3.04x
St Helier 2 4.12x
Caterham 1 9.23x
Chichester St Peter 1 147.06x
Harrington 1 19.12x
Lambeth 1 0.23x
Manchester 1 0.37x
Penderyn 1 36.36x
South Bersted 1 13.85x
Sutton In Ashfield 1 6.79x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 19
Charles 15
George 15
James 13
Thomas 13
Henry 7
Frederick 5
Peter 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Frank 4
Joseph 4
Patrick 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Edwin 3
Gregory 3
Harry 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Bernard 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Christian 1
Christopher 1
Claude 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Eustance 1
Fredrick 1
G.V.B. 1
Jacob 1
Joshua 1
Lawrence 1
Marurici 1
Myles 1
Nicholas 1
Owen 1
Ronand 1
Rosaki 1

FAQ

Poland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 501 people were recorded with the Poland surname. That placed it at #6,766 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 791 in 2016. That gives Poland a modern rank of #6,984.

What does the Poland surname mean?

A toponymic surname indicating an ancestor who came from Poland or a location within the country.

What does the Poland map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Poland 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.