Explore the Family Name Polley
The meaning of Polley
1. English (mainly southeastern): variant of Pooley. 2. German: variant of Poley. 3. French (northern): variant of Pollet.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Polley in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Polley saw a decline between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 6,415th in the United States in 2000, it dropped slightly to the 7,042nd position in 2010, representing a decrease of almost 10 percent. The total count of individuals bearing this surname also declined from 4,886 in 2000 to 4,756 in 2010, experiencing a 2.66 percent drop. The proportion per 100k inhabitants carrying the Polley name also saw an 11.05 percent decrease during this time frame.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,415 | #7,042 | -9.77% |
| Count | 4,886 | 4,756 | -2.66% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.81 | 1.61 | -11.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Polley
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Polley also underwent some changes as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2010, the largest portion of individuals with this surname identified as White, but this demographic decreased slightly from 89.21 percent in 2000 to 87.64 percent in 2010. The Hispanic representation increased noticeably by 60.87 percent, despite still making up a relatively small 1.85 percent of Polleys in 2010. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also saw an increase, growing by 57.78 percent, albeit making up only 0.71 percent of people with this surname. There was a slight growth in the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations as well, while those identifying with two or more races rose by about 26 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.21% | 87.64% | -1.76% |
| Black | 7.67% | 7.91% | 3.13% |
| Hispanic | 1.15% | 1.85% | 60.87% |
| Two or More Races | 1.39% | 1.75% | 25.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.71% | 57.78% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.15% | 25% |
Polley 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 Polley is British & Irish, which comprises 49.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.0%) and Scandinavian (5.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 49.5% |
| French & German | 27.0% |
| Scandinavian | 5.1% |
| Other | 18.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Polley
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 Polley 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 | 86.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
What Polley 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 Polley is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include IJ-M429 and R-M167, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Darrow, Tudor, Utley, Harbour, Dion, Olin, Chadwick, Sackett, Thacker, Abernathy.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Polley surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Polley 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.
"Polley" Surname 28.3%
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.
"Polley" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Polley" Surname 16.7%
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.
"Polley" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Polley?
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 Polley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition