NameCensus.

UK surname

Pollack

A Polish surname derived from the Polish word for a person from Poland or an ethnic Pole.

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Pollack surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, St Leonard Shoreditch and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Hackney and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pollack is 128 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.2%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

2010

128 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pollack had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 121 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Pollack surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pollack surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pollack 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 22 #29,378
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 110 #26,717
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 128 #26,036
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 122 #27,122
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Pollacks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, St Leonard Shoreditch, Govan Combination, Jarrow and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Hackney and Liverpool. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Jarrow Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 033 Barnet
2 Hackney 004 Hackney
3 Liverpool 052 Liverpool
4 Hackney 001 Hackney
5 Liverpool 047 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pollack

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pollack

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Pollack surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Pollack household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Pollack is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pollack 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

Pollack falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pollack 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.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Pollack

The surname Pollack is of Polish origin, derived from the Polish word "Polak," meaning a person of Polish descent or nationality. It dates back to the Middle Ages and was initially used as an ethnic identifier.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Pollack can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Poland. One notable reference is in the "Księga Henrykowska" (Book of Henryków), a medieval manuscript dating back to the late 13th century, which lists several individuals with the surname Pollack.

In the 15th century, the name Pollack began to appear in various regions of Central and Eastern Europe, including parts of modern-day Germany, Czech Republic, and Hungary, likely due to migration and trade routes. The spelling variations at that time included Polack, Pollak, and Pollacek.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pollack was Jan Pollack, a Polish merchant and trader who lived in the city of Krakow in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Mikołaj Pollack, a Polish Renaissance architect and engineer who designed several prominent buildings in Krakow and other cities in the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Pollack began to appear in various records in England, likely due to immigration from continental Europe. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname in England was Thomas Pollack, who was born in London in 1632.

Another notable figure was Johann Pollack, an Austrian architect and engineer who lived from 1772 to 1838. He is best known for his work on the construction of the Semmering Railway, one of the first mountain railways in Europe.

In the 19th century, the name Pollack became more widespread in the United States and other parts of the world, primarily due to immigration from Europe. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Jackson Pollack, the renowned American painter and a leading figure in the abstract expressionist movement, who lived from 1912 to 1956.

Overall, the surname Pollack has a rich history and has been present in various regions of Europe and beyond for several centuries, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that shaped the modern world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pollack families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pollack 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 19 Pollacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.41x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 19 2.41x
Durham 9 3.83x
Yorkshire 9 1.15x
Devon 8 4.87x
Lanarkshire 6 2.35x
Stirlingshire 5 17.16x
Berwickshire 4 41.80x
Cumberland 3 4.41x
Lancashire 3 0.32x
Surrey 3 0.78x
Worcestershire 3 2.91x
Dunbartonshire 2 9.42x
Warwickshire 2 1.00x
Angus 1 1.37x
Kent 1 0.37x
Midlothian 1 0.95x
Renfrewshire 1 1.63x
Sussex 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middlesbrough in Yorkshire leads with 9 Pollacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.32x.

Place Total Index
Middlesbrough 9 88.32x
Shoreditch London 9 26.29x
South Shields 8 382.78x
Newton Abbot St Mary 7 507.25x
Cambuslang 4 155.04x
Spitalfields London 4 67.34x
Westruther 4 2222.22x
Alva 3 215.83x
Burnley 3 38.02x
Islington London 3 3.92x
Penrith 3 119.52x
Yardley 3 113.64x
Blantyre 2 75.19x
Cardross 2 78.43x
Edgbaston 2 32.36x
St Martin In Fields 2 42.28x
Stoke 2 109.89x
Abbey 1 10.71x
Brighton 1 3.72x
Clapham 1 10.12x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 48.08x
Kilsyth 1 53.76x
Lewisham 1 6.96x
Littleham 1 83.33x
Montrose 1 22.52x
Polmont 1 92.59x
Poplar London 1 6.71x
Westoe 1 7.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Marge 1
Margret 1
Marie 1
Mary 1
Matilda 1
Melanie 1
Phillis 1

Top male names

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

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 Pollack households.

FAQ

Pollack surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pollack surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Pollack surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pollack surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Pollack a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Pollack surname mean?

A Polish surname derived from the Polish word for a person from Poland or an ethnic Pole.

What does the Pollack map show?

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