The Poole surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 56,226 people carried this name — #604 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,250 people counted. That is up 3% from 54,706 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Poole surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the pool’.

An early record he cites: Walter de la Pulle, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Pool and Poole.

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

In Switzerland’s population statistics

28 people named Poole live in Switzerland.

They live in 4 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Aargau.

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

Where they live today

Aargau 9
Vaud 8
Zurich 7
Geneva 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 25 people named Poole.

Most of them — 17 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Paris.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 17
Paris 2
Alpes-Maritimes 1
Dordogne 1
Drôme 1
Haute-Garonne 1
Nord 1
Rhône 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

63 people named Poole are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 42
Finland (2026) 21

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Poole was found among the farmers of 8 counties.

It was most frequent in Somerset: 40 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 250. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Somerset 40
Gloucestershire 36
Cambridgeshire 20
Shropshire 17
Dorset 15
Essex 15
Staffordshire 14
Wiltshire 13

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Poole was recorded 30 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 816th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 23. 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

Poole in American newspapers,
1902–1914.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Poole
The Birmingham Age-herald 1902-08-29
Newspaper page from The Kansas City Sun carrying the name Poole
The Kansas City Sun 1914-05-23
Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Poole
The Birmingham Age-herald 1912-10-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 208,375 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Poole in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

107,729 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Poole. The most, 19,508, date from the 1920s. 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 South Australia, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 34,107
South Australia 22,962
Queensland 18,451
Victoria 18,235
Western Australia 7,386
Tasmania 5,933
ACT (Canberra) 434
Northern Territory 90

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

Who carried it

People named Poole,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Neville Poole d. 1661 · politician
  • Henry Poole d. 1559 · politician
  • Henry Poole d. 1580 · politician
  • Giles Poole d. 1589 · politician
  • Thomas R. Poole d. 1821 · sculptor
  • Elman Poole d. 2019 · neurologist

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

In the public record

People named Poole,
in the records of 8 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 States4,348 records

4,348 records of the Poole name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,891
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 740
  • Other U.S. records 1,717
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Carlton J. Poole

    Born 1915 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1941 at Cambridge; office clerk from Middlesex County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    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 Ronald Felton Poole

    Born 1946; from San Antonio, Texas. U.S. Air Force; killed in action 1967 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Nicolaus Poole

    Arrived at New York in 1854 aboard the Meta from Bremen, aged 37; farmer. From Saxony, Germany; bound for Dayton.

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

Showing 3 of 4,348 records for Poole 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, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). 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).

Australia2,526 records

2,526 records of the Poole name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,125
  • Tasmanian Names Index 584
  • Other Australian records 817
  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 James Poole

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Susan, sailing from Plymouth in 1842. Native of East Brent, Somerset. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1854. Married 1854 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 33.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 John Poole

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Argyle, sailing from Plymouth in 1831. Native of Staplegrove, Somerset. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1840. Married 1840 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 36.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 John Jackson Poole

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Maria Somes, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Hanley, Staffordshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1854.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,526 records for Poole 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Canada573 records

573 records of the Poole name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 417
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 39
  • Other Canadian records 117
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Dick Poole

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Ranger, bound for Port Mattoon, aged 19.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Poole

    Came to Ontario in 1876 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Portland, bound for Thornhill, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Nathan Poole

    Buried in 1987 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 78.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 573 records for Poole in Canada.

Counts: 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. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom158 records

158 records of the Poole name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 117
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 20
  • Other British records 21
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Emma Ridsdale Poole

    Died 1998, aged 83; buried at Kippen Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Poole

    Buried in 1826 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 36.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Poole

    Will proved in 1920; of Carnarvon, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 158 records for Poole 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. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands133 records

133 records of the Poole name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 60
  • Dutch population registers 52
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 21
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hubregt Poole

    Married in 1817 in Heinkenszand; innkeeper. Died 1827 in Heinkenszand, aged 44.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Borsele (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johannes Rijnnardus Poole

    Born 1812 in Goes. Married in 1839 in Ouder-Amstel; farrier.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Joanna Poole

    Born 1821 in Heinkenszand. Married in 1851 in Hoedekenskerke; farm maid.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Borsele (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 133 records for Poole 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).

New Zealand37 records

37 records of the Poole name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 19
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 8
  • Other New Zealand records 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert William Poole

    Died 1920, aged 38; buried at Sydenham 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 Rachael Poole

    Buried in 1907 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 76.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Phyllis Lyola Poole

    Died 2000, aged 76; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 37 records for Poole in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France12 records

12 records of the Poole 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 Jack Joseph Poole

    Born 1938 in Bourg-lès-Valence (Drôme); died 1998 in Notre-Dame-de-l'Osier (Isère).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Paul Lucien Poole

    Born 1904 in Écully; died 1985 in Écully (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 12 records for Poole in France.

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).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Poole 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 Robert Poole

    From Hamburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 26 March 1917.

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

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Poole.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Poole 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.

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