NameCensus.

UK surname

Poolman

An occupational surname referring to someone who maintained or serviced pools.

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Poolman surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Codford St Mary and Burnham, Dorney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poolman is 310 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.5%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1911

310 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poolman had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 310 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Poolman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poolman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poolman 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 264 #12,235
1901 historical 290 #11,925
1911 historical 310 #11,180
1997 modern 267 #14,623
1998 modern 272 #14,846
1999 modern 263 #15,267
2000 modern 267 #15,055
2001 modern 249 #15,573
2002 modern 251 #15,770
2003 modern 247 #15,733
2004 modern 247 #15,821
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 243 #16,052
2007 modern 235 #16,668
2008 modern 236 #16,736
2009 modern 250 #16,421
2010 modern 244 #17,056
2011 modern 240 #17,093
2012 modern 258 #16,165
2013 modern 245 #17,025
2014 modern 248 #16,991
2015 modern 232 #17,689
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Poolmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Codford St Mary, Burnham, Dorney, Chiltern St Mary and Chiltern All Saints. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, New Forest, Bristol and Wokingham. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Codford St Mary Wiltshire
3 Burnham, Dorney Buckinghamshire
4 Chiltern St Mary Wiltshire
5 Chiltern All Saints Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 047 Wiltshire
2 Windsor and Maidenhead 002 Windsor and Maidenhead
3 New Forest 012 New Forest
4 Bristol 039 Bristol, City of
5 Wokingham 001 Wokingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poolman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poolman

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Poolman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Poolman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Poolman 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

Poolman 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

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

Meaning and origin of Poolman

The surname Poolman is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be an occupational surname, referring to someone who was responsible for maintaining and overseeing pools of water, such as fishponds or reservoirs.

The name is derived from the Old English words "pool" and "man," which together literally translate to "pool man." It is possible that the earliest bearers of this surname were employed by wealthy landowners or monasteries to manage their fish stocks and water sources.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Poolman surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John Poolman. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the Poolman surname appears in various records from the county of Oxfordshire. For example, a Thomas Poolman is mentioned in the Churchwardens' Accounts of Cuxham in 1490.

A notable bearer of the Poolman name was Sir William Poolman (c.1520-1586), a prominent English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Chippenham during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of historical significance was Richard Poolman (1655-1732), an English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Chigwell in Essex and wrote several religious works, including a book titled "The Scripture-Doctrine of the Divine Predestination."

In the 18th century, the Poolman surname was also found in parts of Scotland, as evidenced by the birth of James Poolman in Dundee in 1743. This suggests that the name may have spread from England to other parts of the British Isles over time.

Other notable Poolmans throughout history include John Poolman (1779-1855), an English architect who designed several buildings in the city of Bath, and William Poolman (1859-1940), a British artist and illustrator known for his landscape paintings and illustrations for books and magazines.

While the Poolman surname originated as an occupational name, it has since become a hereditary surname passed down through generations of families in various parts of the United Kingdom and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poolman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poolman 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. Wiltshire leads with 134 Poolmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.04x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 134 75.04x
Somerset 17 5.23x
Surrey 12 1.22x
Cheshire 8 1.79x
Middlesex 8 0.40x
Gloucestershire 6 1.52x
Monmouthshire 6 4.11x
Carmarthenshire 5 5.87x
Hampshire 2 0.48x
Norfolk 2 0.64x
Berkshire 1 0.66x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.78x
Dorset 1 0.75x
Leicestershire 1 0.45x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chitterne All Sts in Wiltshire leads with 29 Poolmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9666.67x.

Place Total Index
Chitterne All Sts 29 9666.67x
Warminster 16 409.21x
Upton Scudamore 12 5454.55x
Chitterne St Mary 11 7857.14x
Codford St Mary 11 4583.33x
Swindon 11 79.42x
Salisbury St Thomas 9 638.30x
Lyncombe Widcombe 8 94.01x
Tranmere 8 48.84x
Corsley 7 1000.00x
Shere 7 588.24x
Sutton Veney 7 1400.00x
Bedwellty 6 23.28x
Devizes St Mary 6 333.33x
Bishopstrow 5 2941.18x
Lambeth 5 2.84x
Llanelly 5 26.08x
Walcot 5 28.89x
Knook 4 5000.00x
St George In East 4 29.13x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 22.71x
Bristol Temple 3 114.94x
Bower Chalk 2 689.66x
Christchurch 2 22.30x
Earsham 2 476.19x
Mile End Old Town 2 6.28x
Shoreditch London 2 2.28x
Wilsford 2 769.23x
Bath St Michael 1 60.98x
Bathhampton 1 357.14x
Chesterton 1 25.38x
Cranoe 1 1428.57x
Elm 1 400.00x
Frome 1 12.87x
Gillingham 1 43.86x
Heytesbury 1 153.85x
Reading St Lawrence 1 30.86x
Skiplam 1 2500.00x
Stockton 1 588.24x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 12
Henry 9
George 8
Thomas 6
Charles 5
James 5
Arthur 4
Albert 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Earnest 2
Alfd. 1
Benjamin 1
Danial 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Georg 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Nathaniel 1
Richard 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Poolman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poolman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Poolman surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poolman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Poolman a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Poolman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who maintained or serviced pools.

What does the Poolman map show?

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