Explore the Family Name Pollak
The meaning of Pollak
1. Hungarian and Slovak (Pollák); Czech (also Pollák): variant of Polák ‘Pole’ (see Polak). 2. Germanized form of Polish, Sorbian, Slovenian, and Croatian Polak, and probably also of Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, and Slovak Poljak. Compare Pollack. 3. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Polak, a surname referring to a Jew from Poland. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Shmuel, Yaakov, Yehuda, Chaim, Moshe, Yitzchok, Arie, Aron, Avi, Avrom, Chaskel, Chavie. German Kurt, Otto, Alois, Egon, Frieda, Hans, Heinz, Helmut, Ignatz, Ilse, Klaus, Manfred.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pollak in the United States?
The surname Pollak has seen marked growth in popularity over the last decade, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked 9649th in terms of prevalence but jumped to 8453rd place by 2010, an increase of 12.4 percent. Similarly, the number of people with this surname rose from 3090 in 2000 to 3908 in 2010, a jump of 26.47 percent. This drove up the proportion of individuals named Pollak per 100k from 1.15 in 2000 to 1.32 in 2010, demonstrating a 14.78 percent growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,649 | #8,453 | 12.4% |
| Count | 3,090 | 3,908 | 26.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.15 | 1.32 | 14.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pollak
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Pollak also saw shifts between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest group continues to be those of White ethnicity, although their percentage dipped slightly from 94.76 percent in 2000 to 94.27 percent in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic grew significantly from 1.84 percent to 2.74 percent. There was also a near doubling of individuals identifying as Black, from 0.49 percent to 0.97 percent. Conversely, the category of Two or more races saw a decrease, falling from 2.07 percent to 1.10 percent. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islander inched up from 0.52 percent to 0.61 percent, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, dropping marginally from 0.32 percent to 0.31 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.76% | 94.27% | -0.52% |
| Hispanic | 1.84% | 2.74% | 48.91% |
| Two or More Races | 2.07% | 1.1% | -46.86% |
| Black | 0.49% | 0.97% | 97.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.61% | 17.31% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.32% | 0.31% | -3.12% |
Pollak 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 Pollak is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 38.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (21.6%) and French & German (14.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 38.2% |
| British & Irish | 21.6% |
| French & German | 14.0% |
| Other | 26.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Pollak
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 Pollak have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 51.40% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 51.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 51.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 51.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 51.40% |
What Pollak 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 Pollak is E-M5021, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-M5021 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-M67 and R-CTS3402, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lesser, Perrone, Berlin, Gartner, Hertz, Waldman, Held, Fleischer, Marino, Schuster.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pollak surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early European farmers
If you have haplogroup E1b1b1, your paternal line stems from a branch of E-M215 called E-M5021. Men bearing this lineage migrated from the Balkans to southwestern Europe during the spread of agriculture by early farmers in the agricultural revolution, which began about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. Early members of haplogroup E1b1b1, some of the world's first farmers, had a competitive advantage over native men, who didn't have farming technology. As a result of this advantage, haplogroup E1b1b1 became widespread and populous during the agricultural revolution. The effects of this ancient advantage are still seen today, with haplogroup E1b1b1 being represented from Portugal and Spain to Palestine, southern Africa, and Russia.
Your 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 Pollak 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.
"Pollak" Surname 40.6%
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.
"Pollak" Surname 26.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Pollak" Surname 14.0%
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.
"Pollak" Surname 16.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Pollak?
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 Pollak are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition