Polk Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Polk last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Polk last name
Meaning of the Polk last name: from Pollock. Polk is a Scottish surname, an American shortening of Pollock, from Pollock in Renfrewshire. The last name is famous through President James K. Polk via Ulster Scots streams. Mecklenburg Carolina Scotch-Irish rolls already carry Polk from Pollock, so the Polk surname stayed easy to spot in later indexes.
Arms associated with the Polk name
Heraldry associated with the Polk surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Polk family history
This is only a glimpse of the Polk story. The full Polk history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Polk coat of arms. Get the full Polk report.
Polk name FAQ
What does the Polk name mean?
From Pollock. Common variants include Pollock, Polke.
Where does the Polk surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Polk coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Polk coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).