Explore the Family Name Polk
The meaning of Polk
1. Scottish: shortened form of Pollock. 2. Sorbian (Półk and Pólk): probably from a short form of a personal name based on Old Slavic plъkъ ‘crowd, army’ (see Polka 3). 3. East German (of Slavic origin): variant of Polke. History: The American president James Polk (1795–1849) was of Scots-Irish descent. His family came to North America from Ireland, where the name had been shortened from Pollock to Polk. The first American bearer of the name in this form, Robert Bruce Polk, emigrated from Ireland to MD in the late 17th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Polk in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Polk has seen a slight decrease in rank from 1,270 in 2000 to 1,296 in 2010, representing a -2.05% change. However, the count of people carrying the Polk name increased by 6.51% over the same period, from 25,438 to 27,094. The proportion per 100,000 decreased by -2.55%, from 9.43 to 9.19.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,270 | #1,296 | -2.05% |
| Count | 25,438 | 27,094 | 6.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.43 | 9.19 | -2.55% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Polk
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Polk, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, shows notable changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with the Polk surname rose by 40.43%, while those identifying as two or more races increased by 43.86%. Although the majority of individuals with this surname identify as either White or Black, these categories saw divergent trends. The percentage of Whites decreased slightly by -4.83%, while the percentage of Blacks marginally increased by 0.93%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic segment demonstrated the most significant growth at 65.49%, albeit from a smaller base. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Natives held nearly steady, with a minimal decrease of -0.91%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 47.52% | 47.96% | 0.93% |
| White | 47.79% | 45.48% | -4.83% |
| Two or More Races | 1.71% | 2.46% | 43.86% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 2.35% | 65.49% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.1% | 1.09% | -0.91% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.66% | 40.43% |
Polk ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Polk is British & Irish, which comprises 45.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.6%) and Nigerian (8.5%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Angolan & Congolese, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.0% |
| French & German | 17.6% |
| Nigerian | 8.5% |
| Other | 29.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Polk
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Polk have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 70.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 70.50% |
What Polk haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Polk is I-L1198, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L1198 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z159 and E-P252, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pollock, Ware, Lester, Jackson, Robinson, Ball, Church, Bowden, Taylor, Young.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Polk surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Polk have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Polk" Surname 37.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Polk" Surname 32.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Polk" Surname 24.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Polk" Surname 18.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Polk?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Polk are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition