2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pelas
A surname of Portuguese origin, possibly derived from the word "pele" meaning "skin" or "fur."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Pelas. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelas surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Pelas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelas, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelas
The surname PELAS originates from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically Spain and Portugal, where it was first recorded in the late 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Latin word "pellis," meaning skin or hide, suggesting a possible connection to an occupation related to leather or fur trade.
One of the earliest known references to the PELAS surname can be found in the archives of Castile, where a document from 1492 mentions a certain Juan Pelas, a merchant from Seville. Another early record dates back to 1507, when a Francisco Pelas was registered as a landowner in the region of Alentejo, Portugal.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the PELAS surname appeared in various historical records across the Iberian Peninsula. Notably, in 1623, a Pedro Pelas was listed as a prominent member of the Confraternity of Saint Joseph in Lisbon. Additionally, a Diego Pelas was recorded as a respected silversmith in Seville in the 1650s.
As the Spanish and Portuguese empires expanded, the PELAS surname spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas and Asia. One notable figure was Hernán Pelas (1590-1648), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru and later became a renowned explorer and navigator in the Pacific Ocean.
In the 18th century, the PELAS surname gained prominence in various fields. Mariana Pelas (1712-1782) was a renowned Portuguese poet and writer who contributed significantly to the literary scene of her time. Meanwhile, in Spain, José Pelas (1735-1801) was a highly regarded architect who designed several noteworthy buildings in Madrid and Seville.
The 19th century saw the PELAS surname continue to spread globally. One notable figure was Antonio Pelas (1821-1895), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Second Mexican Empire under Maximilian I.
Throughout history, the PELAS surname has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, landowners, artisans, explorers, writers, architects, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelas
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelas, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelas bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pelas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 13
- Two or more races7.6% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelas
Pelas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+4 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,093 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,076 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 5,093 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,076 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pelas surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #134,712 | #142,788 | -6.0% |
| Count | 125 | 119 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelas bearers went from 125 to 119 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,076 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #142,788.
FAQ
Pelas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelas?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Pelas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Pelas?
Pelas ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Pelas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pelas.
Has Pelas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelas went from 125 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelas, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (7.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pelas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Hispanic (10.9%), Two or More Races (7.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pelas (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pelas mean?
A surname of Portuguese origin, possibly derived from the word "pele" meaning "skin" or "fur." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pelas (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Pelas?
Find out how many people have the last name Pelas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.