NameCensus.

UK surname

Poller

A topographic surname potentially derived from a Polish or German place name.

In the 1881 census there were 42 people recorded with the Poller surname, ranking it #27,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, up from #27,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lambeth, St John Hackney and Newburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Malvern Hills and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poller is 446 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 240.5%.

1881 census count

42

Ranked #27,721

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

1861

446 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poller had 42 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 446 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Poller surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poller surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poller 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 446 #5,796
1881 historical 42 #27,721
1891 historical 311 #10,781
1901 historical 57 #27,846
1911 historical 104 #22,209
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 136 #23,013
1999 modern 136 #23,186
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 137 #23,198
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 126 #24,493
2007 modern 131 #24,282
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 139 #24,688
2011 modern 139 #24,507
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 142 #24,734
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Pollers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lambeth, St John Hackney, Newburn, St Mary Islington and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Malvern Hills and Birmingham. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
2 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
3 Newburn Northumberland
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Malvern Hills 010 Malvern Hills
2 Birmingham 101 Birmingham
3 Birmingham 026 Birmingham
4 Birmingham 125 Birmingham
5 Birmingham 022 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poller

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poller

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Poller surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Poller household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Poller 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

Poller is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Poller 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 Poller 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Poller

The surname Poller originated in Germany during the late medieval period, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Polle," which referred to a small pool or puddle of water. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked with small bodies of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Poller can be found in the town of Lübeck, in northern Germany, where a merchant named Hans Poller is mentioned in a document from the year 1412. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Poller name appears in various records across Germany, including in the town of Erfurt, where a merchant named Johann Poller is mentioned in a trade document from 1542. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of the country by that time.

During the 17th century, the Poller name is found in several historical records, such as the baptismal records of the town of Halle, where a child named Anna Poller was baptized in 1672. This suggests that the name had become well-established in the region by that point.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Poller. One of the earliest was Johann Poller (1492-1563), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure was Friedrich Poller (1717-1789), a German composer and organist who contributed to the development of baroque music.

In the 19th century, the Poller name gained prominence in the field of science with the birth of Karl Poller (1819-1887), a German chemist and professor who made significant contributions to the study of organic chemistry. Another notable figure from this period was Wilhelm Poller (1854-1924), a German painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

As the Poller name spread across Germany and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, including Pohler, Poler, and Pollerer. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its association with small bodies of water.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poller families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poller 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. Warwickshire leads with 14 Pollers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.55x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 14 13.55x
Lancashire 7 1.44x
Middlesex 7 1.71x
Cheshire 5 5.53x
Essex 2 2.47x
Suffolk 2 4.01x
Yorkshire 2 0.49x
Kent 1 0.72x
Staffordshire 1 0.72x
Surrey 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 12 Pollers recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.19x.

Place Total Index
Aston 12 42.19x
Birkenhead 5 69.35x
Liverpool 4 13.55x
Everton 3 19.37x
Shoreditch London 3 16.90x
Shotley 2 2222.22x
St George Hanover 2 37.38x
West Ham 2 11.20x
Birmingham 1 2.91x
Gravesend 1 84.75x
Hammersmith London 1 9.91x
Holy Trinity 1 10.25x
Leamington Priors 1 39.37x
St Andrew Holborn 1 71.94x
Thames Ditton 1 243.90x
Walton In Wakefield 1 1111.11x
Wolverhampton 1 9.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Jane 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Gertie 1
Lizzie 1
Lora 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Poller 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 Poller households.

FAQ

Poller surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poller surname in 1881?

In 1881, 42 people were recorded with the Poller surname. That placed it at #27,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poller surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Poller a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Poller surname mean?

A topographic surname potentially derived from a Polish or German place name.

What does the Poller map show?

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