UK surname

Polito

Italian occupational surname referring to a person who raises or sells poultry or chickens.

In the 1881 census there were 7 people recorded with the Polito surname, ranking it #32,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, up from #32,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bishopbriggs West and Cadder, Sandwell and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Polito is 109 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1342.9%.

1881 census count

Ranked #32,765

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2014

109 bearers

Map years

2016 to 2016

Key insights

• Polito had 7 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,765 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15 in 1901.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Map

Polito surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Polito surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Polito 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	2	#33,133
1881	historical	7	#32,765
1891	historical	5	#33,939
1901	historical	15	#32,383
1911	historical	4	#33,595
1997	modern	70	#30,618
1998	modern	74	#30,562
1999	modern	68	#31,311
2000	modern	73	#30,881
2001	modern	71	#30,907
2002	modern	70	#31,432
2003	modern	78	#30,654
2004	modern	79	#30,799
2005	modern	82	#30,617
2006	modern	87	#30,292
2007	modern	91	#30,061
2008	modern	92	#30,286
2009	modern	90	#31,094
2010	modern	97	#30,697
2011	modern	92	#31,301
2012	modern	107	#29,017
2013	modern	106	#29,740
2014	modern	109	#29,452
2015	modern	101	#30,816
2016	modern	101	#30,929

Geography

Where Politos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bishopbriggs West and Cadder, Sandwell, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Cambridge and Harborough. 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	No data	No data

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Bishopbriggs West and Cadder	East Dunbartonshire
2	Sandwell 015	Sandwell
3	King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002	King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4	Cambridge 004	Cambridge
5	Harborough 002	Harborough

Forenames

First names often paired with Polito

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Helen Michelle Adriana Claire Joanna Laura Fiona Rebecca Pamela Anna

Recent male names

Giles Antonio Gennaro Simon Vito Charles Marco Emiliano Cosimo Thomas

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Polito

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Polito, 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 Polito surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Polito 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Polito is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Polito is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Polito falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Polito is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - Other

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Polito

The surname Polito is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "politus," meaning "polished" or "refined," suggesting a possible connection to an ancestor's occupation as a skilled craftsman or artisan.

The earliest known references to the Polito name can be found in historical records from the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy in northern Italy, where the name was particularly prevalent during the 13th and 14th centuries. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who exhibited a refined or polished demeanor or worked in trades that involved polishing or finishing products.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Polito surname appears in the "Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis," a collection of medieval charters from the Cava de' Tirreni abbey in Campania, dating back to the late 11th century. The name is also found in various municipal records and cadastral maps from cities like Turin, Milan, and Genoa during the Renaissance period.

Among the notable individuals who bore the Polito surname in history is Giovanni Polito (1483-1561), a renowned Italian architect and sculptor from Padua. His works include the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi in Padua and the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. Another prominent figure was Francesco Polito (1615-1677), a Baroque painter from Naples known for his religious works and portraits.

In the 18th century, Giuseppe Polito (1720-1795) was a prominent mathematician and engineer from Palermo, Sicily, who made significant contributions to the field of hydraulics and the design of aqueducts. Another notable Polito was Gerolamo Polito (1783-1858), an Italian politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

During the 19th century, the Polito surname gained further recognition with the birth of Cesare Polito (1835-1905), an Italian politician and businessman from Turin. He played a crucial role in the development of the Fiat automobile company and served as a member of the Italian Senate.

While the Polito surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, primarily due to immigration patterns. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the regions of northern Italy and the Italian peninsula.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Polito families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Polito 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 7 Politos recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.28x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Middlesex	7	0.00%	10.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hornsey in Middlesex leads with 7 Politos recorded in 1881 and an index of 813.95x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Hornsey	7	0.02%	813.95x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Mary	2
Clara	1
Emiley	1
Rose	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
Charles	1
John	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 Polito households.

Occupation	Count
Clerk Hosiers	2
Scholar	2
Clerk Insurance Office	1
Income	1

FAQ

Polito surname: questions and answers

How common was the Polito surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7 people were recorded with the Polito surname. That placed it at #32,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Polito surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Polito a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Polito surname mean?