2000
#7,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,008
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Pelfrey
An English occupational surname referring to a tax collector or bailiff, derived from the Old French "pelfrer" meaning "plunderer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,416 Americans carry the last name Pelfrey. That puts it at #8,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,616 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelfrey 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
4.4K
1 in 77,616
Census rank
#8,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,851 bearers of the surname Pelfrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelfrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelfrey 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 Pelfrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 3,540
- Two or more races4.3% · 164
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelfrey
Pelfrey 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
#7,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,136
+128 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 343 places
2020
#8,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,851
-285 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,654 | 4,008 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,997 | 4,136 | 1.40 | +128 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 343 places |
| 2020 | #8,239 | 3,851 | 1.29 | -285 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 242 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 Pelfrey 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 | #7,997 | #8,239 | -3.0% |
| Count | 4,136 | 3,851 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.29 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelfrey bearers went from 4,136 to 3,851 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 242 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,997 to #8,239.
FAQ
Pelfrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelfrey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,416 living Americans carry the surname Pelfrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,616 residents.
How common is Pelfrey?
Pelfrey ranks #8,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,851 people with the surname Pelfrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,416), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pelfrey.
Has Pelfrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelfrey went from 4,136 recorded bearers to 3,851. That is a decrease of 285 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,997 to #8,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelfrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Pelfrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (3,540 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelfrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Pelfrey (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 Pelfrey mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a tax collector or bailiff, derived from the Old French "pelfrer" meaning "plunderer." 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 Pelfrey (1.29 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 are called Pelfrey?
You can see how many people have the last name Pelfrey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.