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Polka Family History

Polka Surname Meaning

Czech, Slovak, and Polish: from Polka (Slovak Poľka), an ethnic name denoting a woman from Poland (compare Polak). Polish: from a pet form of the female personal name Apolonia.

Polish (Połka): from a pet form of a personal name such as Świętopołk and Przedpołk based on Old Slavic plъkъ ‘crowd army’.

The surname is used almost exclusively in the central part of Greater Poland Voivodeship.

East German (of Slavic origin): variant of Polke.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Polka family from?

You can see how Polka families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Polka family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Polka families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 6 Polka families living in Hampshire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Polka's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Polka families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Polka surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Polka ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and House Work were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Polka. 36% of Polka men worked as a Laborer and 20% of Polka women worked as a House Work. Some less common occupations for Americans named Polka were Machinist and Saleslady.

View Census Data for Polka | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    36%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Machinist
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • House Work
    20%
  • Waitress
    14%
  • Maid
    14%
  • Saleslady
    14%

What Polka family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Polka. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Polka census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Polka

Passenger Lists

There are 585 immigration records available for the last name Polka. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Polka immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Polka. For the veterans among your Polka ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Polka military records

You've only scratched the surface of Polka family history

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What is the average Polka lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Polka life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Polka in 1949 was 47, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Polka

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Polka ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Polka family tree

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