Paulk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The ancestors of the Paulk family lived among the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. Paulk is a name for someone who lived at Pollok (Gaelic: Pollag), a large district on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, home to Crookston Castle, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was once held. The name of the town has Gaelic origins, from the word 'poll', meaning "pool" or "pit".

Early Origins of the Paulk family

The surname Paulk was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland, where the first occurrence of the name is Peter, son of Fulbert or Fulburt who was granted the lands of Upper Pollock by the High Steward, and who took the surname from the lands, making him the first Pollock. Peter gave the church of Pulloc and its pertinents to the monastery of Paisley, sometime between 1177 and 1199. Within that same period of time, he also confirmed the charter of his brother Helias of Perthic to the same house. Peter also possessed lands in Moray and circa 1175, he witnessed the charter by William the Lion granting Burgin to the Abbey of Kinlos. 1

Circa 1230, Murial de Polloc, a daughter of Peter, gifted her land of Inuerorkel and all its pertinents for the benefit of the hospital erected beside the bridge of Spey for the reception of travelers. Continuing this pattern of generosity, Robert de Pollok granted to the monastery of Paisley, during the reign of Alexander II, alms of twelve pennies a year from the rents he earned from his lands. Other important Pollocks include John Pollok who was both steward of the Abbey of Arbroath and sheriff of Forfar. 1

In England, Pook was a popular variant and in this case, the family was probably from Puckney Gill in the parish of Charlwood, County Surrey, so called from the Old English word "puca" (goblin) and "eg" (island). 2 The surname is first found in Sussex in 1332 as atte Pukenegh, and occurs also in County Surrey at about the same date. From the fourteenth to the seventeenth century the name was largely confined to a small central area of central Sussex, around West Grinstead. The name was also occasionally used as a nickname 'the puk' from the complexion of hair or dress, a colour between russet and black. 3

William Puch was documented in the year 1166, and appears to be the first of the name on record. William le Puk of County Somerset, was documented during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377) and John Pouk was recorded in County Somerset at the same time. 4

Early History of the Paulk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paulk research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1234, 1272, 1590, 1603, 1660, 1827 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Paulk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paulk Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Paulk has been spelled Pollock, Pollocke, Polk, Polke, Pollok, Pollick, Polloch, Pook, Pooke, Poock, Pogue, Poag, Poage, Poague, Poak and many more.

Early Notables of the Paulk family

More information is included under the topic Early Paulk Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paulk Ranking

In the United States, the name Paulk is the 4,893^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Paulk family to Ireland

Some of the Paulk family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paulk migration to the United States +

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them:

Paulk Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George Paulk, originally from Swom, arrived in New York in 1903 aboard the ship "Majestic (1890)" from Liverpool, England 6
Ludwik Paulk, aged 35, originally from Austria, arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Vaderland" from Antwerp, Belgium 6
Rafael Paulk, aged 21, originally from Laka, Austria, arrived in New York in 1912 aboard the ship "Zeeland" from Antwerp, Belgium 6
Anna Paulk, aged 40, originally from Nedrzejowka, Austria, arrived in New York in 1913 aboard the ship "Amerika" from Hamburg, Germany 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Paulk (post 1700) +

Jeffrey Howard "Jeff" Paulk (b. 1976), American former NFL football fullback who played from 1999 to 2000
John Paulk (b. 1963), American former advocate and promoter of the ex-gay movement and conversion therapy; in 2013 he stated that he no longer supported the ex-gay movement
Charles "Charlie" Paulk (1946-2014), American NBA basketball player who played from 1968 to 1972
Marcus Terrell Paulk (b. 1986), American actor, rapper and dancer best known for his role as Myles Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha (1996-2001)
Edsel Paulk, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Reason Paulk, American politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives from Turner County, 1931-32 7
Ralph Paulk, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 2004 7
Kindel Paulk, American politician, Mayor of Wichita Falls, Texas, 1953-54 7
J. B. D. Paulk, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1940 7
George A. Paulk, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1924 7
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Paulk Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Audacter et strenue
Motto Translation: Boldly and earnestly.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html