Poor
A nickname surname from Middle English for someone poor, humble, or in reduced circumstances.
The #9,800 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 93,474 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Poor is usually a nickname surname taken directly from the common adjective meaning “poor” or “needy.” In medieval English it could describe a person of limited means, low social standing, or, sometimes, a humble or pious character. The word ultimately comes through Old French from Latin pauper, “poor” or “meager.”
History
As a surname, Poor appears to have arisen independently in English-speaking areas from the everyday descriptive word rather than from a single family line. Records of the type are often sparse because such names could be unstable and easily altered in spelling or replaced by other forms. In some cases, similar-looking surnames may also reflect local or scribal variation rather than a fixed hereditary surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it began as an ordinary descriptive word, Poor is one of those surnames that could easily have started as a byname before becoming hereditary.
From the historical record
“(A conduct well worthy ot Nero), Over poor Mr. Lightfoot, confined with the gout, Mr. Heaviside danced a"Bolero. -Miss Joy, wretched maid, when she chose Mr, Love,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)