Surname Polk - Meaning and Origin
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Redefining Personal Identity and Heritage: Lessons from My iGENEA DNA Test as a Polk
As a Polk, I took an iGENEA DNA test to understand my roots better. The results went beyond my expectations, revealing aspects of my ancestry that were both surprising and fascinating. This experience not only altered my understanding of my lineage but also deeply influenced my perception of personal identity.
C. Polk
read morePolk: What does the surname Polk mean?
Polk is a surname of English, Irish, Scottish and German origin. Its English meaning is derived from the term "Pollock" or "Pool Lock", signifying a pool of water and the lock system used around it in marine transportation. It can also refer to a small body of water like a pond or a lake, particularly in the Lancashire region in England.
In the Irish context, it is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Pól", a derivative of Paul.
In Scotland, the surname has it roots in a place called Pollok in historic Renfrewshire, named after the Pollok Water, a tributary of the White Cart river.
In the German language, "Polk" is a variation of "Pulk", which means a group or crowd, or can also mean a group of soldiers.
A notable person with this last name is the former U.S. President, James K. Polk.
Despite these varied origins, the common factor among them is that they allude to water or a group of people.
Order DNA origin analysisPolk: Where does the name Polk come from?
The last name Polk is most commonly found in the American South. The majority of those bearing the surname are located across the states of Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Louisiana, with significant numbers in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina as well. There are smaller pockets of Polk relatives in states further north, such as Missouri, Illinois, and Ohio, as well as in the US southwest, primarily in Arizona and New Mexico.
The deeper Rodgers/Polk family tree originates in Virginia, and the Polk Clan can trace their US roots to the American Revolution. It is reported that the name first came to Virginia with Andrew Polk, a Protestant Englishman, who settled in Vanilla County in the early 1700s. The family moved from Virginia to North Carolina and subsequently to Tennessee and Mississippi.
Today, the Polk name continues to thrive in the South; upon doing research, you can easily find many individuals with the Polk surname living in those same Southern states. Other branches of the family have since moved to other parts of the US, but the majority of the last name remains concentrated in the South, where it has been for centuries.
Variations of the surname Polk
The surname Polk is a patronymic surname, which is derived from a personal name or family name. It is mainly found in the United States, where it is believed to have originated. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Polk are:
Polke, Polks, Pollack, Pollak, Polloc, Pollock, Polak, Polecki, Polik, Polkowski, Polkowic, Pollick, Pollock, Polyk, Pollyck, and Polack.
Polk is believed to be of either Scottish or Polish origin and it is believed to have made its way to the United States through immigration. The surname Pol, as found in Scotland, was derived from the personal name of Paul. Pol is a diminutive of Paul, and it was derived from the Latin word “paulus,” meaning “small.” The Polish version of the surname is Polk, and it was thought to have originated from the word “polk,” indicating a place of public assembly.
The variant of Polke is a Germanic version of the surname and it is believed to have been derived from a Latin word “polke” meaning “bastard” or “illegitimate.” It is also found in the Netherlands and in parts of Denmark.
The surname Pollack is the anglicized version of the Polish variation, and it is commonly found in the United Kingdom and in the United States. In some instances, Pollack may also be a Jewish variation of Polk.
Lastly, the surname Polak is the Polish variant of the surname and it is believed to have derived from the Latin word “polonus”, which means “Polish.” It is commonly found in several countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Famous people with the name Polk
- Leonidas S. Polk: American Bishop of the Episcopal Church
- James Knox Polk: 11th president of the United States
- Barbara Polk: American actress
- Leon Polk Smith: American abstract painter
- Wilbur Ross Polk: American jazz composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader
- William J. Polk: American author and diplomat
- Franklin Polk: American Civil War Union Army colonel
- Peter David Polk: American major league baseball umpire
- Milt Polk: American professional National Basketball Association player
- Jamie Elizabeth Polk: American actress, singer, and songwriter