UK surname
A diminutive form of the given name Mary or a nickname for a talkative person, from the word "poll" meaning "head."
In the 1881 census there were 223 people recorded with the Polly surname, ranking it #11,998 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 91, ranked #32,109, down from #11,998 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean and Walthamstow, Low Leyton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Polly is 229 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 59.2%.
1881 census count
223
Ranked #11,998
Modern count
91
2016, ranked #32,109
Peak year
1861
229 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Polly surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Polly surname density by area, 1881 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 | 170 | #11,780 |
| 1861 | historical | 229 | #10,660 |
| 1881 | historical | 223 | #11,998 |
| 1891 | historical | 218 | #14,023 |
| 1901 | historical | 169 | #16,824 |
| 1911 | historical | 123 | #20,128 |
| 1997 | modern | 46 | #33,077 |
| 1998 | modern | 50 | #32,899 |
| 1999 | modern | 46 | #33,424 |
| 2000 | modern | 49 | #33,187 |
| 2001 | modern | 47 | #33,219 |
| 2002 | modern | 48 | #33,459 |
| 2003 | modern | 46 | #33,710 |
| 2004 | modern | 46 | #33,883 |
| 2005 | modern | 55 | #33,349 |
| 2006 | modern | 50 | #34,077 |
| 2007 | modern | 52 | #34,195 |
| 2008 | modern | 48 | #34,629 |
| 2009 | modern | 47 | #34,856 |
| 2010 | modern | 56 | #34,480 |
| 2011 | modern | 59 | #34,265 |
| 2012 | modern | 68 | #33,763 |
| 2013 | modern | 77 | #33,275 |
| 2014 | modern | 83 | #32,910 |
| 2015 | modern | 85 | #32,693 |
| 2016 | modern | 91 | #32,109 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Walton-le-Soken and London parishes. 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 | Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) | Glamorganshire |
| 2 | Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean | Monmouthshire |
| 3 | Walthamstow, Low Leyton | Essex |
| 4 | Walton-le-Soken | Essex |
| 5 | London parishes | London 3 |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Polly 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 Polly, 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 Polly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Polly 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, Polly 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 Polly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Polly, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Polly has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a patronymic or locational name, deriving from the Old English word "poll" or "pol", meaning "pool" or "stream".
In medieval times, the name may have referred to someone who lived near a pool or stream, or it could have been an occupational name for someone who worked in a pool-related profession, such as fishing or maintaining waterways. The earliest known record of the surname Polly dates back to 1273, when a William Polle was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire.
The name appears in various historical records throughout the centuries, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Polly is listed. In the 15th century, the spelling of the name varied, with forms like "Pooley" and "Polay" appearing in documents.
One notable early bearer of the surname was Robert Polley, a merchant from Bristol, England, who was born around 1500. He is mentioned in records from the 16th century for his trading activities in the city.
In the 17th century, the Polly surname can be found in parish records across various counties in England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. During this period, the name was also associated with several place names, such as Polly Hall in Wiltshire and Polly Brook in Gloucestershire.
A prominent figure with the surname Polly was Sir John Pollexfen Polly (1638-1702), an English judge and Member of Parliament. He served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1688 to 1702.
Another notable bearer of the name was William Polly (1700-1782), an English watchmaker and inventor from London. He is credited with developing a method for compensating for temperature changes in pocket watches, which greatly improved their accuracy.
In the 19th century, the Polly surname was borne by several individuals of note, including Richard Polly (1785-1861), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Charles Polly (1810-1892), an English architect known for his work on churches and public buildings in London.
Throughout its history, the surname Polly has been carried by numerous individuals across various fields and professions, with its roots firmly grounded in the English language and the country's rich cultural heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Polly 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. Essex leads with 85 Pollys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.71x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Essex | 85 | 19.71x |
| Surrey | 35 | 3.29x |
| Middlesex | 32 | 1.46x |
| Gloucestershire | 13 | 3.03x |
| Glamorgan | 9 | 2.37x |
| Lanarkshire | 8 | 1.13x |
| Cumberland | 7 | 3.72x |
| Durham | 5 | 0.77x |
| Kent | 5 | 0.67x |
| Lancashire | 5 | 0.19x |
| Oxfordshire | 4 | 2.96x |
| Norfolk | 3 | 0.89x |
| Sussex | 3 | 0.81x |
| Yorkshire | 3 | 0.14x |
| Northumberland | 2 | 0.62x |
| Warwickshire | 2 | 0.36x |
| Angus | 1 | 0.49x |
| Herefordshire | 1 | 1.12x |
| Suffolk | 1 | 0.38x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walton Le Soken in Essex leads with 19 Pollys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1844.66x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Polly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth | 11 |
| Mary | 11 |
| Emma | 5 |
| Charlotte | 4 |
| Eliza | 4 |
| Alice | 3 |
| Ann | 3 |
| Edith | 3 |
| Hannah | 3 |
| Amy | 2 |
| Annie | 2 |
| Ellen | 2 |
| Emily | 2 |
| Ethel | 2 |
| Sarah | 2 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Beatrice | 1 |
| Bessie | 1 |
| Caroline | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| Clementine | 1 |
| Effie | 1 |
| Eleanor | 1 |
| Elfrida | 1 |
| Elisa | 1 |
| Elizh. | 1 |
| Ellenor | 1 |
| Elvina | 1 |
| Ernest | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Isabelle | 1 |
| Jane | 1 |
| Janie | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Lilian | 1 |
| Louisa | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Lydia | 1 |
| M.A. | 1 |
| Mable | 1 |
| Madeline | 1 |
| Mahala | 1 |
| Margaret | 1 |
| Margret | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Susan | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Polly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 15 |
| John | 12 |
| George | 9 |
| Alfred | 5 |
| James | 5 |
| Thomas | 5 |
| Arthur | 4 |
| Charles | 4 |
| David | 4 |
| Edward | 4 |
| Joseph | 4 |
| Robert | 4 |
| Edwin | 2 |
| Francis | 2 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Herbert | 2 |
| Moses | 2 |
| Richard | 2 |
| Walter | 2 |
| Aaron | 1 |
| Abraham | 1 |
| Alderman | 1 |
| Archibald | 1 |
| Douglas | 1 |
| Earnest | 1 |
| Edmund | 1 |
| Fred | 1 |
| Fredk. | 1 |
| Goerge | 1 |
| Harold | 1 |
| Harvey | 1 |
| Henry | 1 |
| Howard | 1 |
| Infant | 1 |
| Jonathan | 1 |
| Leonard | 1 |
| Mathew | 1 |
| Samuel | 1 |
| Sarah | 1 |
| Sydney | 1 |
| Thos. | 1 |
| Vivian | 1 |
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 Polly households.
FAQ
In 1881, 223 people were recorded with the Polly surname. That placed it at #11,998 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016. That gives Polly a modern rank of #32,109.
A diminutive form of the given name Mary or a nickname for a talkative person, from the word "poll" meaning "head."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Polly 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.