NameCensus.

UK surname

Pollard

An occupational surname for a person who trimmed the tops and branches of trees.

In the 1881 census there were 10,901 people recorded with the Pollard surname, ranking it #391 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,060, ranked #494, down from #391 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Burnley and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pollard is 13,857 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.8%.

1881 census count

10,901

Ranked #391

Modern count

13,060

2016, ranked #494

Peak year

2002

13,857 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pollard had 10,901 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #391 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,060 in 2016, ranked #494.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,619 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pollard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pollard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pollard 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 7,202 #391
1861 historical 6,768 #413
1881 historical 10,901 #391
1891 historical 10,962 #405
1901 historical 13,274 #394
1911 historical 13,619 #359
1997 modern 13,455 #450
1998 modern 13,815 #457
1999 modern 13,848 #459
2000 modern 13,788 #456
2001 modern 13,510 #456
2002 modern 13,857 #455
2003 modern 13,337 #459
2004 modern 13,361 #460
2005 modern 13,034 #469
2006 modern 12,975 #471
2007 modern 12,869 #479
2008 modern 12,914 #484
2009 modern 13,234 #482
2010 modern 13,487 #485
2011 modern 13,279 #485
2012 modern 13,026 #485
2013 modern 13,315 #488
2014 modern 13,361 #490
2015 modern 13,193 #491
2016 modern 13,060 #494

Geography

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Where Pollards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Brighton and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Burnley, Newark and Sherwood, Elmbridge and Calderdale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 017 Cornwall
2 Burnley 014 Burnley
3 Newark and Sherwood 011 Newark and Sherwood
4 Elmbridge 014 Elmbridge
5 Calderdale 027 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pollard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pollard

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pollard 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

Pollard is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pollard 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 Pollard 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 Pollard, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pollard

The surname Pollard is of English origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "pollard," which referred to a person who pruned or pollarded trees, particularly willows and other trees used for making baskets and fences.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Pollard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Polard" and "Polart." This suggests that the name was already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, the name appears in various records as "Pollard," "Polard," and "Poillard." These variations in spelling were common during this period, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Pollard, a prominent landowner in Buckinghamshire, England, who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir Lewis Pollard, a member of the English gentry from Devon, who lived in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Pollard family gained prominence in Wiltshire, England, where they owned significant landholdings. One of the most notable members of this branch was Sir Hugh Pollard (c. 1535-1594), who served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the suppression of the Wyatt Rebellion.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, several Pollards played important roles on both sides of the conflict. Sir John Pollard (1608-1655) was a Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I, while John Pollard (1630-1703) was a prominent Parliamentarian and served as a judge during the Commonwealth period.

The Pollard surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Pollard's Hill in Surrey and Pollard's Wood in Oxfordshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who owned or resided in those areas.

Throughout history, the Pollard surname has been borne by many notable figures across various fields, including Sir John Pollard Willoughby (1817-1897), a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross; Robert Pollard (1932-2008), an American novelist and short story writer; and Amelia Pollard (1828-1906), an English artist and illustrator.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pollard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pollard 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,247 Pollards recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.13x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,247 2.13x
Lancashire 2,136 1.69x
Middlesex 684 0.64x
Sussex 519 2.89x
Cornwall 516 4.28x
Surrey 429 0.83x
Devon 340 1.53x
Kent 338 0.93x
Leicestershire 304 2.57x
Suffolk 274 2.11x
Gloucestershire 259 1.24x
Nottinghamshire 248 1.73x
Derbyshire 242 1.45x
Somerset 227 1.32x
Northamptonshire 224 2.24x
Durham 207 0.65x
Cheshire 174 0.74x
Warwickshire 133 0.50x
Wiltshire 119 1.26x
Essex 113 0.54x
Hampshire 110 0.50x
Hertfordshire 101 1.38x
Lincolnshire 100 0.59x
Buckinghamshire 96 1.49x
Norfolk 89 0.54x
Worcestershire 75 0.54x
Northumberland 69 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 66 0.98x
Oxfordshire 62 0.94x
Dorset 47 0.67x
Cumberland 44 0.48x
Glamorgan 42 0.23x
Staffordshire 36 0.10x
Monmouthshire 35 0.45x
Rutland 34 4.35x
Berkshire 27 0.34x
Bedfordshire 22 0.40x
Herefordshire 18 0.41x
Lanarkshire 16 0.05x
Shropshire 16 0.17x
Renfrewshire 12 0.15x
Isle of Man 10 0.51x
Royal Navy 10 0.79x
Ayrshire 9 0.11x
Midlothian 8 0.06x
Channel Islands 7 0.22x
Angus 6 0.06x
Fife 4 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.03x
East Lothian 3 0.21x
Flintshire 2 0.07x
Selkirkshire 2 0.21x
West Lothian 2 0.12x
Brecknockshire 1 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burnley in Lancashire leads with 269 Pollards recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.27x.

Place Total Index
Burnley 269 25.27x
Habergham Eaves 230 19.91x
Brighton 143 3.95x
Accrington 138 12.01x
Leeds 131 2.20x
Horton In Bradford 121 7.34x
Lambeth 97 1.04x
Manchester 96 1.69x
Bradford 91 3.56x
Padiham 88 28.82x
Halifax 86 5.55x
Bowling 82 7.84x
Batley 81 8.07x
Blackburn 71 2.11x
Hackney London 71 1.19x
Manningham 70 5.38x
Westoe 70 3.90x
North Bierley 69 12.11x
Great Little Marsden 67 11.57x
Paul 64 29.21x
Higher Booths 62 27.21x
Leicester St Margaret 58 2.01x
Liverpool 57 0.74x
Nottingham St Mary 57 1.53x
Sheffield 56 1.67x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 55 14.59x
Camberwell 53 0.78x
Salford 53 1.43x
Thornton In Bradford 53 15.08x
Wortley In Bramley 53 6.34x
Ilkeston 51 10.91x
Kensington London 48 0.81x
St Pancras London 47 0.55x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 46 2.34x
Partington 46 288.04x
Bury 45 3.12x
Dewsbury 44 4.06x
Islington London 44 0.43x
Trowbridge 43 10.33x
West Ham 43 0.93x
Brightside Bierlow 42 2.03x
Walsham Le Willows 42 96.95x
Colne 41 10.89x
St Marylebone London 40 0.70x
Newington 39 0.99x
Pudsey 39 6.91x
Hunslet 38 2.31x
Newchurch 38 3.67x
Paddington London 37 0.94x
Battersea 36 0.92x
Coventry St Michael 35 4.06x
Croydon 35 1.21x
Northowram 35 4.73x
Preston 35 1.03x
West Derby 35 0.95x
Anstey 34 72.85x
Clitheroe 34 9.14x
Hammersmith London 34 1.30x
Armley 33 7.09x
Ipswich St Mathew 33 9.08x
Clayton 32 12.39x
Spotland 32 2.28x
Bingley 31 4.61x
Limehouse London 31 2.65x
Clayton Le Moors 30 12.23x
Heanor 30 12.03x
St George Hanover 30 2.16x
Stockton On Tees 30 1.96x
Greenwich 29 1.71x
Soham 29 19.97x
West Hoathly 29 51.41x
Lewisham 28 1.44x
Tong 28 13.73x
Whalley 28 15.20x
Deptford St Paul 27 0.96x
Eastwood 27 21.03x
Rippingdale 27 134.40x
Tonbridge 27 2.06x
Chelsea London 26 0.81x
Mevagissey 26 32.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 774
Elizabeth 420
Sarah 408
Ann 221
Jane 213
Emma 175
Alice 173
Ellen 171
Annie 160
Eliza 157
Hannah 143
Martha 134
Emily 117
Margaret 101
Louisa 79
Harriet 68
Edith 66
Fanny 62
Maria 60
Clara 59
Caroline 58
Charlotte 54
Kate 53
Lucy 53
Ada 52
Florence 50
Catherine 47
Susan 39
Agnes 36
Frances 35
Grace 32
Amelia 28
Susannah 28
Harriett 27
Isabella 27
Nancy 27
Rose 27
Anne 26
Matilda 25
Ruth 25
Esther 24
Minnie 23
Elizth. 22
Amy 20
Bertha 20
Julia 19
Selina 19
Bessie 18
Rebecca 18
Sophia 18

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 644
William 614
James 419
Thomas 335
George 334
Joseph 219
Henry 207
Charles 186
Edward 111
Arthur 110
Alfred 108
Robert 105
Frederick 95
Richard 84
Samuel 76
Albert 75
Harry 71
Walter 71
Frank 54
Herbert 49
Fred 48
Edwin 44
Ernest 36
Benjamin 34
Francis 31
Wm. 31
Tom 25
David 24
Thos. 22
Jonathan 17
Willie 16
Daniel 15
Fredk. 15
Sam 15
Geo. 13
Peter 13
Jno. 12
Joshua 12
Sidney 12
Christopher 11
Hugh 11
Leonard 11
Percy 11
Stephen 11
Edgar 10
Isaac 10
Alexander 9
Jesse 9
Lewis 9
Willm. 9

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 Pollard households.

FAQ

Pollard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pollard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,901 people were recorded with the Pollard surname. That placed it at #391 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pollard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,060 in 2016. That gives Pollard a modern rank of #494.

What does the Pollard surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who trimmed the tops and branches of trees.

What does the Pollard map show?

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