The Poland surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,746 people carried this name — #4,581 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 38,000 people counted. That is down 1% from 7,854 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Poland surname

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison explains it as ‘Dweller at the Pool-Land’.

Or from Poland, the country.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 85 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 5 births for the Poland name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 3
Leinster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

38 families named Poland, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 227 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 8 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 12
Maine 8
Pennsylvania 6
North Carolina 4
South Carolina 3
Maryland 2
New Hampshire 1
New York 1
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 257 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Poland in American newspapers,
1872–1889.

Newspaper page from Bellows Falls Times carrying the name Poland
Bellows Falls Times 1873-03-07
Newspaper page from National Opinion carrying the name Poland
National Opinion 1872-08-09
Newspaper page from Sullivan Republican carrying the name Poland
Sullivan Republican 1889-08-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,940 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Poland in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

4,626 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Poland. The most, 833, date from the 1880s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,260
Victoria 1,203
Queensland 964
South Australia 489
Western Australia 459
Tasmania 219
ACT (Canberra) 17
Northern Territory 8

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Poland.

Who carried it

People named Poland,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Toontje Poland
    Toontje Poland 1795–1857 · military personnel
  • Luke P. Poland
    Luke P. Poland 1815–1887 · judge
  • Martin Luther Poland
    Martin Luther Poland 1841–1878
  • Martha Poland Thurston
    Martha Poland Thurston 1849–1898 · writer
  • Franz Poland
    Franz Poland 1857–1945 · head teacher
  • Franz Poland 1813–1901 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Poland,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States765 records

765 records of the Poland name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 297
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 136
  • Other U.S. records 332
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ernest L. Poland

    Born 1921 in Maryland. Enlisted 1946 at Fort George G Meade; housekeeper from Allegany County. U.S. Air Force veteran; died 1997, buried at Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery, Flintstone, Maryland.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Chazke Poland

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Russia from Hamburg, aged 42; laborer. From Nezhin, Poland, Russia; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ronald Lee Poland

    Born 1946; from Canton, Ohio. U.S. Army, combat engineer; killed in action 1970 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 765 records for Poland in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Netherlands872 records

872 records of the Poland name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 515
  • Dutch population registers 336
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 21
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Klaas Poland

    Married in 1826 in Hensbroek; farmhand. Died 1854 in Heerhugowaard, aged 63.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Theodorus Poland

    Born 1899 in Hoogwoud. Married in 1928 in Blokker; farmer. Died 1955 in Hoorn, aged 55.

    Open Archives, Westfries Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Elisabeth Poland

    In the population register of Berkhout; nun, born 1881 in Berkhout.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 872 records for Poland in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia124 records

124 records of the Poland name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 48
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 39
  • Other Australian records 37
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Poland

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Susan, sailing from London in 1837. Native of Cork. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1846. Married 1846 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Poland

    Arrived in Victoria in 1889 aboard the Elaushi, aged 26; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Roy William Poland

    Retired of Port Melbourne, Victoria; died 1993.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 124 records for Poland in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Germany35 records

35 records of the Poland name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Peter Poland

    From Spielea, Jülich. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 3 February 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 173).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Oskar Poland

    From Oelsnitz i. V. Reported wounded in the Saxon casualty list of 14 July 1916 (Foot Artillery Regiment No. 12).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Ludwig Poland

    From Nürnberg, Mittelfr. Reported wounded in the Bavarian casualty list of 27 February 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 35 records for Poland in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Canada14 records

14 records of the Poland name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 9
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Clarence John Poland

    Buried in 1993 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 75.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Teresa Poland

    Died 1932 in Alder Point, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Herbert John Poland

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 14 records for Poland in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Ireland14 records

14 records of the Poland name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Aloysius Poland

    Died 1993, aged 76; buried at Clontuskert, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Molly Poland

    Died 1997, aged 62; buried at Clontuskert, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Poland

    Died 2001, aged 58; buried at Clontuskert, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Poland in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom12 records

12 records of the Poland name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 7
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Martha Poland

    Buried in 1841 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 32.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. H. Poland

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Poland

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Poland in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Poland name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Clarice Daphne June Poland

    Died 1998, aged 72; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Ernest Poland

    Died 1968, aged 77; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Poland name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Patrick James Poland

    Born 1929 in Canada; died 1995 in Villefranche-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Poland.

When the index is not enough

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