Paulk
A surname usually understood as a variant built from the given name Paul, with the final -k likely reflecting spelling variation or dialectal form.
The #6,206 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 56,024 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Paulk is generally treated as a variant surname related to Paul, ultimately from the Latin name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble." The added -k is not part of the original name itself and is usually explained as a regional or orthographic variant rather than a separate root. In practice, Paulk and related spellings such as Paul, Paull, and Paulding cluster around the same personal-name source.
History
The name appears in English-language surname records alongside Paul and Paull, suggesting it developed as one of several spelling forms of the same family name. In the United States, it is most common in the South, where short surnames ending in -k sometimes became stabilized as distinct spellings. The historical excerpts provided list Paulk among related Paul- surnames but do not give a fuller etymology, so the explanation remains conservative.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The related name Paul is one of the oldest Christian surnames in Europe because it comes from a very common biblical given name.
From the historical record
“Pallies, Papanti, Papendiek, Parban, Parlin, Par- menter, Parnell, Parow, Pasco, Pasquill, Passedu, Pastrouich, Paulding, Paulk, Pazolt, Peabey, Peard, Peaver and Pevear ; Peavey, Peavy, and Pevey ; Pedder, Peed, Peffer, Peglar, Pelby, Pell, Pelletier, Pelouze, Pember, Pender; Pendergast, Pendergrass, Pindergast…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)