2000
#99,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Pellitier
A surname referring to a furrier or maker of pelts and furs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Pellitier. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pellitier 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Pellitier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pellitier, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pellitier
The surname Pellitier is of French origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the French word "pelletier," which means "furrier" or "skinner." This occupation-based name suggests that the earliest bearers were tradesmen involved in the preparation and selling of animal pelts and furs.
The name first emerged in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy, where the fur trade was a significant industry during the medieval period. Records indicate that the earliest known spelling of the name was "Pelletier," which later evolved into variations like "Pelletiere," "Pelletiere," and eventually "Pellitier."
Historical references to the Pellitier name can be found in various medieval documents, including tax records, parish registers, and legal proceedings. One notable mention is in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen" (Book of the Burghers of Rouen), a census-like record from the 13th century, where several individuals bearing the Pellitier surname are listed.
Among the earliest recorded examples of the name is Jean Pellitier, a furrier who lived in Rouen, Normandy, in the late 13th century. Another prominent figure was Guillaume Pellitier, a merchant and landowner from Amiens, Picardy, who was mentioned in a land transaction document dated 1314.
In the 15th century, the name gained prominence with Jacques Pellitier, a renowned furrier and merchant from Paris, who supplied furs to the French royal court. His son, Pierre Pellitier (1499-1568), became a renowned scholar and humanist, known for his translations of ancient Greek texts.
Other notable individuals with the Pellitier surname include:
1. Nicolas Pellitier (c. 1580-1653), a French theologian and author from Reims.
2. Claude Pellitier (1630-1711), a French historian and numismatist from Paris.
3. Marie-Anne Pellitier (1726-1798), a French painter and engraver from Lyon.
4. Jean-Baptiste Pellitier (1761-1835), a French politician and lawyer from Marseille.
5. Louis-François Pellitier (1793-1867), a French botanist and naturalist from Grenoble.
Over time, the Pellitier name spread beyond France to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, carried by immigrants seeking new opportunities. Despite its occupational origins, the name has endured and continues to be found in various regions, reflecting the far-reaching influence of French culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pellitier
Among Census respondents with the surname Pellitier, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pellitier 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 Pellitier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 7
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pellitier
Pellitier 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-53 bearers (-31.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 43,935 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,214 | 169 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -53 bearers (-31.4%) | Down 43,935 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,072 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 Pellitier 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 | #143,149 | #147,221 | -2.8% |
| Count | 116 | 113 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pellitier bearers went from 116 to 113 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,221.
FAQ
Pellitier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pellitier?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Pellitier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Pellitier?
Pellitier ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Pellitier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Pellitier.
Has Pellitier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pellitier went from 116 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Pellitier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pellitier, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Pellitier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pellitier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (6.2%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Pellitier (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 Pellitier mean?
A surname referring to a furrier or maker of pelts and furs. 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 Pellitier (0.04 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 Pellitier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.