English word origin

Etymology of Poll

From Polly, by rhyming with Molly, from Mary.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A disreputable woman.

name

A diminutive of the female given name Mary. · A common pet name for a parrot.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Polly, by rhyming with Molly, from Mary.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "Polly",
      "Polly#English"
    ],
    [
      "Molly",
      "Molly#English"
    ],
    [
      "Mary",
      "Mary#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A disreputable woman."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "995b3ade16e9d0fc2e182afcf19df4dff80c84877c4c8706e0f4cc90844c8757",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ac386e19726f5cfef21aad2aaa88b2aad3f03f74a5ccb73f70f307be28eae703",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4469790
    },
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the female given name Mary.",
        "A common pet name for a parrot."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "bcdf4b2db8156e083a0da83e56bc6473b023320d02e91432c704598274f9be6b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "683f77c6bf1f21a261b08bf4302da0e14548ea4a8bdf7d082fa021f2766eecd8",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4469789
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A surname transferred from the given name.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Paul.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "Paul",
      "Paul#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname transferred from the given name."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "f3be45a0d8a4816979dacdeee820cbb664de917d630ab676de63afc7eedc92e5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cf59e4ba4e3a1678a7768d45101604089e0f1ead077bc526b6a73732b731676b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4469791
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Poll →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-UG9sbA