Explore the Family Name Poli

The meaning of Poli

1. Italian: patronymic or plural form of Polo. This surname is also found in Corsica and southern France. 2. Italian: habitational name from Poli, a commune in Rome province. 3. Italian: in some instances from a short form of a personal name such as Policarpo. 4. French: from Old French poli ‘agreeable, polite’ (literally ‘polished’, past participle of Old French polir), hence a nickname for a courteous or amiable person (perhaps also sometimes given ironically to a boor). 5. Hungarian (Póli): variant of Pólyi, a habitational name for someone from a place called Póly in Abaúj County. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Salvatore, Vito, Angelo, Antonio, Carlo, Guido, Aldo, Attilio, Corrado, Damiano, Dante, Domenic.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Poli in the United States?

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Poli has grown in popularity over a decade. In 2000, the surname was ranked at 16,714, but by 2010 it had moved up to 14,686, marking a notable increase of 12.13%. The count of individuals with the Poli surname also rose from 1,576 to 2,025, a jump of 28.49%. Furthermore, the proportion of people with the surname per 100k increased by 18.97%, moving from 0.58 in 2000 to 0.69 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#16,714#14,68612.13%
Count1,5762,02528.49%
Proportion per 100k0.580.6918.97%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Poli

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals a shift in the distribution among those with the Poli surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew from 3.36% to 4.25%, a change of 26.49%. Those identifying with two or more races decreased from 1.08% to 0.74%, signaling a drop of 31.48%. The proportion of those with White ethnic identity slightly declined from 89.53% to 88.15%, a minor decrease of 1.54%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic community within the Poli surname holders saw an increase from 5.52% to 6.37%, showing a growth of 15.40%. There were no changes in the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, both maintaining a 0% representation in both years.

20002010Change
White89.53%88.15%-1.54%
Hispanic5.52%6.37%15.4%
Asian/Pacific Islander3.36%4.25%26.49%
Two or More Races1.08%0.74%-31.48%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%