UK surname
A French surname derived from the Old French word "polet" meaning a young foal or colt.
In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Pollet surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 31, ranked #35,942, down from #28,011 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Bury, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pollet is 114 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.5%.
1881 census count
40
Ranked #28,011
Modern count
31
2016, ranked #35,942
Peak year
1861
114 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Pollet surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Pollet surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 46 | #24,985 |
| 1861 | historical | 114 | #19,011 |
| 1881 | historical | 40 | #28,011 |
| 1891 | historical | 32 | #31,754 |
| 1901 | historical | 13 | #32,633 |
| 1911 | historical | 24 | #30,800 |
| 1997 | modern | 16 | #36,292 |
| 1998 | modern | 22 | #35,687 |
| 1999 | modern | 27 | #35,224 |
| 2000 | modern | 28 | #35,080 |
| 2001 | modern | 31 | #34,648 |
| 2002 | modern | 29 | #35,030 |
| 2003 | modern | 24 | #35,552 |
| 2004 | modern | 32 | #35,019 |
| 2005 | modern | 30 | #35,347 |
| 2006 | modern | 25 | #35,903 |
| 2007 | modern | 28 | #35,801 |
| 2008 | modern | 29 | #35,808 |
| 2009 | modern | 27 | #36,045 |
| 2010 | modern | 31 | #35,906 |
| 2011 | modern | 33 | #35,777 |
| 2012 | modern | 33 | #35,767 |
| 2013 | modern | 33 | #35,808 |
| 2014 | modern | 34 | #35,784 |
| 2015 | modern | 33 | #35,803 |
| 2016 | modern | 31 | #35,942 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Bury, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Wigan, Manchester and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bury | Lancashire |
| 2 | Dover St James, Dover St Mary | Kent |
| 3 | Wigan | Lancashire |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Prescot | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Pollet surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pollet, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Pollet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Pollet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Pollet is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pollet is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Pollet, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Pollet is of French origin, with its roots tracing back to the Normandy region of northern France during the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the Old French word "polet," which referred to a young chicken or a young, small person.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pollet surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing the name Pollet likely migrated from Normandy to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066.
During the Middle Ages, the Pollet surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France. It is also worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Pollett, Pollette, and Polet, were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions of the time.
Notable historical figures with the surname Pollet include Jacques Pollet (1550-1630), a French lawyer and jurist who served as a magistrate in the Parlement of Rouen. Jean-Baptiste Pollet (1670-1737) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris during the reign of Louis XV.
In the 18th century, Antoine Pollet (1742-1810) was a French painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in collections across Europe, including the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Moving into the 19th century, Émile Pollet (1849-1919) was a French landscape painter and etcher who was part of the Barbizon School of painters. His works often depicted rural scenes and landscapes of northern France.
Another noteworthy individual with the Pollet surname was Eugène Pollet (1870-1934), a Belgian architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of Brussels during the early 20th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pollet surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 10 Pollets recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 10 | 2.16x |
| Middlesex | 8 | 2.05x |
| Surrey | 6 | 3.16x |
| Yorkshire | 6 | 1.55x |
| Brecknockshire | 3 | 38.46x |
| Devon | 2 | 2.46x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 1.64x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.86x |
| Essex | 1 | 1.30x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 1.47x |
| Leicestershire | 1 | 2.31x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 6 Pollets recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.09x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Camberwell | 6 | 24.09x |
| Osmotherley | 6 | 5000.00x |
| Hackney London | 4 | 18.29x |
| Manchester | 4 | 19.22x |
| Islington London | 3 | 7.94x |
| Llangattock | 3 | 468.75x |
| Toxteth Park | 3 | 19.14x |
| Elton | 2 | 125.00x |
| Exeter St Thomas The | 2 | 240.96x |
| Barking | 1 | 44.44x |
| Glossop Dale | 1 | 34.97x |
| Keyham | 1 | 2500.00x |
| Liverpool | 1 | 3.56x |
| Llanmaes | 1 | 5000.00x |
| Westminster St James | 1 | 24.94x |
| Whitburn | 1 | 370.37x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pollet surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pollet surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Pollet households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 8 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Commercial Trav Optical | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Cotton Winder | 1 |
| Drapers Porter | 1 |
| Factory Op | 1 |
| Farm Serv | 1 |
| General Serv Domestics | 1 |
| Housewife | 1 |
| Iron Founders Labourer | 1 |
| Labourer (General) | 1 |
| Millwright | 1 |
| Police Constable | 1 |
| Rivetter | 1 |
| Tailor | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Pollet surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 31 in 2016. That gives Pollet a modern rank of #35,942.
A French surname derived from the Old French word "polet" meaning a young foal or colt.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pollet bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.