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

Pelow, 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 Pelow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pelow in America

Pelow is the 71265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pelow surname appeared 274 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pelow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pelow 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 Pelow

The surname Pelow is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "pelu," meaning "pale" or "pallid," potentially referring to someone with a pale complexion.

One of the earliest records of the Pelow surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Robert Pelou is listed as residing in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name may have initially been concentrated in the southern regions of England.

During the Middle Ages, the Pelow name appeared in various historical documents, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, which mention a John Pelow from Hertfordshire. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of 1381 reference a Thomas Pelow from Warwickshire.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled differently, with variations like "Pelowe" and "Pellowe" appearing in parish records across counties like Wiltshire and Somerset. This highlights the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era.

Notable individuals with the Pelow surname throughout history include:

1. Sir William Pelow (1525-1598), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
2. Thomas Pelow (1650-1718), a notable author and scholar from Oxford, best known for his treatise on ancient Greek philosophy.
3. Elizabeth Pelow (1710-1782), a philanthropist and benefactor who founded the Pelow Orphanage in London.
4. Richard Pelow (1780-1856), a renowned architect responsible for designing several iconic churches in the Georgian style across southern England.
5. Margaret Pelow (1845-1920), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in Manchester, advocating for equal access to education.

While the Pelow surname may not be as widely distributed as some others, its rich history and connections to various regions of England provide insights into the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country's past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pelow

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

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

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

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