The Polson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,125 people carried this name — #8,027 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 71,400 people counted. That is up 3% from 4,022 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Polson surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From Paul + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Polson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Paul’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 614 · public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Polson was recorded 12 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1665th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 24. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Polson in American newspapers,
1902–1908.

Newspaper page from Decorah-posten carrying the name Polson
Decorah-posten 1902-05-20
Newspaper page from Custer County Republican carrying the name Polson
Custer County Republican 1907-12-26
Newspaper page from The Kadoka Press carrying the name Polson
The Kadoka Press 1908-05-08

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 27,477 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Polson in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

1,767 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Polson. The most, 395, date from the 1930s. 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 Victoria, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 822
Victoria 501
South Australia 165
Queensland 107
Tasmania 95
Western Australia 52
ACT (Canberra) 15
Northern Territory 5

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

Who carried it

People named Polson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Constance Freda Polson d. 1980
  • Cynthia Marjorie Patricia Mahony d. 2000
  • Christina Alexandrine Sutherland Polson d. 1949
  • Murdoch Polson 1770–
  • James Polson 1803–1884
  • Charlotte Eleanor Polson 1811–1880

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Polson,
in the records of 5 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 States364 records

364 records of the Polson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 147
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 65
  • Other U.S. records 152
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Leonda C. Polson

    Born 1907 in Utah. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Douglas; farmer from Box Elder County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Brigham City Cemetery, Utah.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Edward Lee Polson

    Born 1944; from Eubank, Kentucky. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Polson

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Paris from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 32; plumber. From England; bound for Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 364 records for Polson 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. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia295 records

295 records of the Polson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 155
  • Tasmanian Names Index 54
  • Other Australian records 86
  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 Margaret Polson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Tory, sailing from London in 1845. Native of Leith, Midlothian. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1847 in Tasman, Tasmania, aged 22.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Douglas Polson

    Died 1925 in West Mooreville Road, Emu Bay, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1925.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Wanata, aged 43; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 295 records for Polson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada121 records

121 records of the Polson name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 89
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 11
  • Other Canadian records 21
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Joanne Polson

    Died 1995, aged 62; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Polson

    Died 1926 in Aspen, Guysborough, 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 Hugh Duncan Polson

    Died in service in 1946.

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

Showing 3 of 121 records for Polson in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. 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).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the Polson name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 16
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frederick Polson

    Died 1925, aged 25; buried at Bromley 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 Donald John Polson

    Died 1930, aged 58; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Frances Katie Polson

    Died 2000; ashes interred at Oxford Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Polson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the Polson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Enar Lars Polson

    Married in 1946 in Amersfoort.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Sara Polson

    Baptised in 1748 in Valkenswaard.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jan Polson

    Buried in 1667 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Polson 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Polson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Polson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Polson volume
Scroll to Top