2000
#1,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,267
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.40
Uncommon Last name
Pelletier
An occupational surname for a furrier or one who works with animal pelts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,218 Americans carry the last name Pelletier. That puts it at #2,098 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,835 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelletier 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
19K
1 in 17,835
Census rank
#2,098
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,759 bearers of the surname Pelletier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2098th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelletier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelletier
The surname Pelletier originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy. The name dates back to the Middle Ages, and it is derived from the Old French word "pelletier," which means "furrier" or "skinner." This occupation-based surname was given to individuals who worked in the fur trade, either as tanners, furriers, or dealers in animal skins.
The earliest recorded reference to the Pelletier surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Peliter," "Peltier," and "Peltyre," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and writing at that time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Pelletier name was Jean Pelletier, a renowned furrier who lived in Paris during the 13th century. He was highly regarded for his exceptional craftsmanship and was commissioned to create fur garments for the French royal court.
In the 14th century, the Pelletier family established themselves in the town of Rouen, where they became prominent members of the local fur trade guild. Records from this period mention Guillaume Pelletier, a respected furrier and merchant, who played a significant role in the town's economic and social life.
During the 16th century, the Pelletier surname gained further prominence with the birth of Jacques Pelletier (1517-1582), a renowned French mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the fields of navigation and cartography, and his work influenced many subsequent scholars and explorers.
Another notable figure with the Pelletier surname was Pierre Pelletier (1644-1711), a French playwright and poet. He was a member of the prestigious Académie Française and is remembered for his satirical plays and poems that offered insightful social commentary on the society of his time.
In the 19th century, the Pelletier family produced several notable figures, including Anselme Pelletier (1817-1891), a French chemist and pioneer in the field of organic chemistry. He is best known for his isolation of the alkaloid, caffeine, from coffee beans.
Throughout history, the Pelletier surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scientists, and scholars. While its origins are rooted in the fur trade, the name has transcended its occupational roots and become a respected surname in its own right.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelletier
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelletier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelletier 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 Pelletier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 15,421
- Two or more races3.3% · 549
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 542
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 116
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 66
- Black or African American0.4% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelletier
Pelletier 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
#2,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,808
+541 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 6.04
Rank movement Down 115 places
2020
#2,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,759
-1,049 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 5.61
Rank movement Down 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,911 | 17,267 | 6.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,026 | 17,808 | 6.04 | +541 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 115 places |
| 2020 | #2,098 | 16,759 | 5.61 | -1,049 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 72 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 Pelletier 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 | #2,026 | #2,098 | -3.6% |
| Count | 17,808 | 16,759 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 6.04 | 5.61 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelletier bearers went from 17,808 to 16,759 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,026 to #2,098.
FAQ
Pelletier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelletier?
Name Census estimates that about 19,218 living Americans carry the surname Pelletier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,835 residents.
How common is Pelletier?
Pelletier ranks #2,098 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,759 people with the surname Pelletier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Pelletier.
Has Pelletier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelletier went from 17,808 recorded bearers to 16,759. That is a decrease of 1,049 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,026 to #2,098.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelletier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelletier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Pelletier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (15,421 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelletier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Pelletier (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 Pelletier mean?
An occupational surname for a furrier or one who works with animal pelts. 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 Pelletier (5.61 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 share the surname Pelletier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.