Surname Pollington - Meaning and Origin

Pollington: What does the surname Pollington mean?

The last name Pollington is believed to be of northern British, specifically Northern English, origin. The name is derived from the Old English personal name 'Pola' and 'ing' meaning 'people of'. The name is likely to have been derived from the noun 'pul', meaning 'pool' or 'puddle', so the literal meaning of the name is 'people of the pool' or 'people of the puddle'.

Originally, it was likely a geographical name, used to identify people from a particular region or area near a pool. It may also have been derived from a place-name; however, there is currently no known place with the Pollington surname.

The earliest recorded use of the name is in 1219, when one Robert de Pollington is listed in the Engish Hundred Rolls in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the Pollingtons were a well-known Northern English family even then.

The surname is still common in the North of England today. It has recently experienced a revival in popularity, with many people choosing Pollington as a surname for their children, both in tribute to their roots and as an unusual but interesting option.

Whilst the precise meaning of the Pollington surname is unknown, it is likely to have originated in Northern England and is an identification of a person's geographical origins. The name continues to have some resonance even in the modern day.

Pollington: Where does the name Pollington come from?

Today, the last name Pollington is predominantly found in England. Going back hundreds of years, the name Pollington is derived from the Old English words polle ('pool') and ington ('settlement'), so it indicates that the original bearer of the name once lived by a pool.

The Pollington surname is most commonly found in the Yorkshire region of England spanning east to west from the North Sea coast to the Pennine Hills further inland. The highest concentrations of people with the surname are located in the large towns and cities of Yorkshire, such as Sheffield, Leeds, and York, and in the more rural, agricultural areas to the south, including Doncaster and Barnsley.

The Pollington surname is also quite prominent in the English Midlands and farther south into London. The England 1881 Census records mention numerous Pollingtons living throughout England, especially in the industrial Midlands, which saw a surge of surnames such as Pollington during the 19th century due to increased migration and the industrial revolution.

Today, the last name Pollington can still be found primarily in the towns and cities of England. It is undoubtedly a fairly rare surname, though numerous Pollington generations have managed to survive and continue the legacy of their family name.

Variations of the surname Pollington

Pallington is the most common variant spelling of Pollington, a British surname with some possible sources. The place name of Pollington, located in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, is believed to be the source of the surname. The name is a combination of elements which refer to a ‘settlement of pool’.

Pollyngton and Pollingtun are two other variant spellings. Polliington and Pollinyon are two similar spellings, believed to have been derived from the original spelling. There is also a Dutch variant of the name, Vollenbagh, which was derived from the same source of Pollington.

Pollingtuns, Pallingtons, Pollietons, Pollitons and Pallitons are all variants of the surname which are occasionally found in written sources. The surnames Hollington and Hollingtun are sometimes thought to be variants of Pollington, due to their similar sound, but it is uncertain if there is a link between them. Similarly, Pollithorn, Pollentine, Plemington, Pullington and Pullingtun are all surnames believed to have originated from the same source as Pollington, but have no known connection between one another.

Pollington is a fairly rare surname, with only 12 people bearing the name in the United Kingdom, according to the Office for National Statistics in 2015. The highest concentration of Pollingtons is in the town of Pollington itself.

Famous people with the name Pollington

• Emma Pollington: British singer-songwriter and actress
• Richard Pollington: British architect and conservationist
• Fergus Pollington: British racing driver
• Rachel Pollington: British screenwriter and performer
• Keith Pollington: British sculptor
• Thomas Pollington: British painter and draughtsman
• Sara Pollington: British television presenter
• George Pollington: former British football player
• Sam Pollington: British animator
• Lucy Pollington: British theatre director
• Mary Pollington: British writer and illustrator
• John Pollington: British musician
• William Pollington: British engineer and inventor
• Kim Pollington: British radio host and voice-over artist
• Charles Pollington: British World War II pilot
• Henry Pollington: British politician and writer
• Joseph Pollington: British marine biologist
• Adrian Pollington: British actor
• Louis Pollington: British journalist
• Bob Pollington: British Olympian distance runner

Other surnames

PollingerPöllinger