2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pelish
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Polish town of Peliszcze.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Pelish. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelish 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Pelish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelish, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelish
The surname Pelish is believed to have originated in Poland. It likely evolved from the Polish word "pielić," which means "to weed" or "to cultivate." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who worked in agriculture or gardening.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pelish can be found in the 16th century parish records of the town of Krakow, where a family by the name of Pelisch was documented. It's possible that the name underwent slight variations in spelling over time, with alternative forms such as Pelisz or Peliszcz being used.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Jan Pelish (1725-1801) was a prominent landowner and businessman in the region of Galicia, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. His estate and business dealings were well-documented, providing valuable insights into the history of the name during that period.
Another historical reference to the name Pelish can be found in the archives of the city of Lviv (formerly known as Lemberg), where a merchant family by the name of Pelisch was recorded in the late 19th century. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of what is now western Ukraine.
In the early 20th century, a Polish-American author named Stanislaw Pelish (1888-1962) gained recognition for his works exploring the immigrant experience and the struggles of working-class families. His writings shed light on the cultural heritage and challenges faced by those bearing the Pelish name who had emigrated to the United States.
During the same period, a renowned Polish philosopher and logician named Kazimierz Pelish (1901-1978) made significant contributions to the field of mathematical logic and the foundations of mathematics. His work helped shape modern logical and philosophical thought, further elevating the recognition of the Pelish name in academic circles.
While the surname Pelish may not be as well-known as some other Polish names, its origins and historical references showcase its deep roots in the region and its connection to various aspects of Polish culture, from agriculture and business to literature and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelish
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelish, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelish 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 Pelish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 101
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelish
Pelish 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+16 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,220 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-15 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 7,220 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 12,647 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 Pelish 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 | #142,108 | #154,755 | -8.9% |
| Count | 117 | 102 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelish bearers went from 117 to 102 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 12,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #154,755.
FAQ
Pelish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelish?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Pelish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Pelish?
Pelish ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Pelish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Pelish.
Has Pelish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelish went from 117 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelish, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Pelish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Pelish (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 Pelish mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Polish town of Peliszcze. 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 Pelish (0.03 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 Pelish?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Pelish on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.