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

Pellerin, 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 Pellerin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pellerin in America

Pellerin is the 9912th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pellerin surname appeared 3,259 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 Pellerin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pellerin 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 Pellerin

The surname Pellerin originated in France and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "pelerin," which means "pilgrim." This suggests that the name may have been initially applied to someone who had made a pilgrimage, perhaps to the Holy Land or to one of the major shrines in Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in various French records from the 12th and 13th centuries. For example, the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a medieval manuscript from the late 12th century, mentions a "Petrus Peregrinus" (Peter the Pilgrim), which may be an early form of the surname.

Another early reference is found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a register of citizens in the city of Rouen, which includes a "Guillaume Pelerin" in 1292. This spelling is closer to the modern French form of the name.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several other regions of France, with variations in spelling such as "Pelegrin," "Pelegrin," and "Pellegrin." These variations likely reflect the different regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

One notable bearer of the name was Jean Pellerin (c. 1445-1524), a French printer and engraver who was active in Paris during the Renaissance. He is considered one of the pioneers of printmaking in France and is best known for his series of engravings depicting the Life of Christ.

Another significant figure was Pierre Pellerin (1663-1713), a French numismatist and antiquarian who amassed a vast collection of ancient coins and medals. His collection formed the basis of the Cabinet des Médailles at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.

In the 18th century, Jacques-Gabriel Pellerin (1724-1807) was a French architect and writer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Église Saint-Sulpice and the Hôtel de Salm.

Moving into the 19th century, Eugène Pellerin (1810-1880) was a French lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the National Assembly during the Second Republic and the early years of the Third Republic.

Finally, one of the most famous bearers of the name in recent history was the French writer and poet Robert Pellerin (1880-1915), who was killed during World War I and is remembered for his evocative descriptions of life in rural Normandy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pellerin

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

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 Pellerin 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 Pellerin 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 Pellerin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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