Find out how popular the last name Pelfrey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pelfrey.

Pelfrey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pelfrey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pelfrey in America

Pelfrey is the 7997th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pelfrey surname appeared 4,136 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pelfrey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pelfrey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pelfrey

The surname PELFREY has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old French word "pelfre," which referred to a type of fur or pelt. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked with furs or pelts, such as a furrier or a tanner.

The earliest known instances of the name PELFREY can be traced back to the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. Historical records indicate that the name was occasionally spelled as "Pelfret" or "Pelfrait" in its early forms. While the name does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, it is possible that some of the earliest bearers of the name arrived in England following the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname PELFREY was Jean Pelfrey, a merchant from Rouen, France, who lived in the 14th century. Another notable figure was Guillaume Pelfrey, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 15th century. In England, records show a Thomas Pelfrey, who was a landowner in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name PELFREY began to spread across Europe as families migrated to different regions. In Germany, there was a notable figure named Johann Pelfrey, born in 1685, who was a renowned clockmaker and inventor. In Scotland, the name was occasionally spelled as "Pelfrie," with records indicating a Robert Pelfrie, born in 1722, who was a respected scholar and philosopher.

As the name PELFREY continued to disperse, it eventually made its way to the Americas. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in the United States was Benjamin Pelfrey, who was born in Virginia in 1760 and later served in the American Revolutionary War. Another notable individual was James Pelfrey, born in 1805, who was a prominent businessman and landowner in Kentucky.

Throughout its history, the surname PELFREY has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, soldiers, scholars, and artisans. While the name may have originated from a specific occupation related to furs or pelts, it has since evolved and been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pelfrey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pelfrey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pelfrey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pelfrey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pelfrey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pelfrey, please contact us.

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