Surname Pollyn - Meaning and Origin

Pollyn: What does the surname Pollyn mean?

The last name Pollyn is of English origin and derives from the ancient English personal name "Paulin," which was a diminutive form of the name "Paul," which is itself a form of "Paullus," a Latin name which may have originally derived from the Latin word "pullus". This means 'youngerc' or 'small'. Over time, this first name evolved into the surname Pollyn and in England it became common among the Puritan settlers during the 16th century.

In addition to its English roots, the surname Pollyn may also be of Swedish or Finnish origin. It appears in records in Sweden from as early as 1560 and is derived from the Swedish ‘poll’ meaning ‘puddle’ or ‘wading pool’, suggesting the original bearer of the name lived near one. Similarly, in Finland, the name derives from the Finnish word ‘paalu’ meaning ‘plank’ or ‘pole’ and may have indicated the family lived near a fenced area.

Today, the name Pollyn is not particularly common. There are fewer than 500 people around the world who currently bear the surname, with most living in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Australia. While the exact source of the name remains unknown, it is believed to have derived from either the Latin or ancient Scandinavian languages and, depending on its origin, likely referred to a physical geographical feature.

Pollyn: Where does the name Pollyn come from?

The last name Pollyn is most commonly found today in the United Kingdom and Canada. In the UK, the highest concentration is in Kent, England, with the most popular cities being Rochester, Canterbury, and Margate. In Canada, the surname Pollyn is more spread out, with population centers in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Canada was the primary destination for the Pollyn name during the 19th century, when many immigrants from the UK settled in the country. In 1871, there were 124 Pollyns living in Canada, primarily in Ontario. That number gradually increased over the decades, reaching 431 in 1921.

In the UK, the Pollyn name has been present since at least the 1200s. In 2012 it was the 9286th most common surname in England and Wales, and 340th most common name in Scotland. It is especially prevalent in the South East of England, and seems to have only grown in popularity since the 20th century.

Overall, the Pollyn surname is fairly uncommon today, ranking near the 8,000-9000th most common names in both the UK and Canada. Despite this, it has still been found and used across both countries for hundreds of years.

Variations of the surname Pollyn

The surname Pollyn is typically spelled ‘Pollyn’, however it also appears in other variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include, but are not limited to the following:

Pollyne, Pollin, Pollyng, Pollynge, Polin, Polliane, Poliane, Pollyane, Poloni, Pollone, Polloni, Pollyonie, Poloniye, Pollony, Pollonie, Polonions, Pollamacare, Pollocar, Polland, Pollyard, Pohlman, Paulin, Pollind, Pauling, Pullen, Pullin, Pullan, Pullins, and Pullay.

These variants, spellings and surnames all originate from the same root, as they have similar meaning or are derived from the same ancestor. For instance, the surname ‘Pollyne’ is derived from the Middle English term “polyn,” meaning ‘to make merry’. The surname ‘Polonions’ is derived from the Latin ‘Polonius’, meaning ‘from Poland’. The surname ‘Pollynge’ is derived from the Middle English combination of ‘poll’, meaning ‘pool’ and ‘inge’, meaning ‘meadow’.

In some instances, these variants of the surname Pollyn have become so heavily interchanged that they have even changed the original spelling. For example, the spelling ‘Pullen’ is derived from the ancient German form of the surname Pollyn, “Poulen”.

Overall, the surnames Pollyn, Polin, Pullin, Paulin, Pollyne and many others all share the same root and genetic origin.

Famous people with the name Pollyn

• Jim Pollyn: British actor and stage performer, active since the 1980s
• John Pollyn: professional baseball player in the late 1890's
• Walter Pollyn: English cricketer active in the 1800s
• Max Pollyn: American producer and director of feature films and television
• Emily Pollyn: International Christian singer and songwriter
• Jennifer Pollyn: British voice actress
• Deborah Pollyn: French-American ballet dancer and choreographer
• Claire Pollyn: British news anchor
• Paul Pollyn: French actor and theatre director
• Josh Pollyn: American reality TV star and lifestyle blogger

Other surnames

Polly