Explore the Family Name Polson

The meaning of Polson

English (mainly Scotland): from the Middle English personal name Pole or Poul (from Latin Paulus, modern Paul) + -son; see Paul.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Polson has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Polson ranked 7623 in terms of commonality of surnames, but dropped to 8027 in 2010, marking a decline of 5.3%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Polson surname increased by about 2.56% during this decade, from 4022 to 4125. However, the proportion of individuals with the surname Polson per 100 thousand people decreased by 6.04%, indicating that while the total number of people named Polson grew, it did not keep pace with the overall population growth.

20002010Change
Rank#7,623#8,027-5.3%
Count4,0224,1252.56%
Proportion per 100k1.491.4-6.04%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Polson

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Polson also showed some changes during this period as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest proportion of people with the Polson surname identified themselves as White, though this percentage saw a slight decrease from 90.95% in 2000 to 89.75% in 2010. Individuals identifying as Hispanic or Black saw increases in their proportions among those with the Polson surname, with respective changes of 42.44% and 17.04%. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or of two or more races both decreased, by 2.33% and 9.34% respectively. Lastly, a modest increase was observed for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, with a change of 7.69%.

20002010Change
White90.95%89.75%-1.32%
Black3.58%4.19%17.04%
Hispanic1.72%2.45%42.44%
Two or More Races1.82%1.65%-9.34%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.29%1.26%-2.33%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.65%0.7%7.69%

Polson 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 Polson is British & Irish, which comprises 53.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.6%) and Scandinavian (8.1%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Malayali Subgroup.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish53.5%
French & German21.6%
Scandinavian8.1%
Other16.8%
Polson

Possible origins of the surname Polson

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 Polson have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom84.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom84.50%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom84.50%
West Midlands, United Kingdom84.50%
Merseyside, United Kingdom84.50%

What Polson 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 Polson is R-CTS4314.3, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS4314.3 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z282 and I-M170, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bury, Merrick, Froehlich, Zuber, Barrie, Johns, Christy, Neilson, Christopher, Penn.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Polson surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

polsonPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Polson 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

Polson

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Polson" Surname 48.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Polson

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Polson" Surname 37.5%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Polson

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Polson" Surname 11.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Polson

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Polson" Surname 18.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Polson?

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 Polson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%