2000
#6,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.92
Rare Last name
Pelton
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on a hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,146 Americans carry the last name Pelton. That puts it at #6,127 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,769 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelton 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pelton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 55,769
Census rank
#6,127
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,360 bearers of the surname Pelton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6127th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelton
The surname Pelton is of English origin, deriving from the place name Pelton, which refers to several locations in the counties of Durham and Northumberland. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "pell" and "tun," meaning "pool" and "farm" or "settlement," respectively.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Pelton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1268, where a person named Gilbert de Pelton is listed. This suggests that the name was already established and associated with the geographical locations by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, records show a John de Pelton being mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327. This indicates that the surname had spread beyond its initial geographic origins and was being used more widely across northern England.
The Pelton surname is also found in the Calendar of Patent Rolls from 1384, which references a Robert de Pelton receiving a pardon from King Richard II. This historical document provides evidence of the surname's use during the late medieval period.
One notable individual with the Pelton surname was Sir John Pelton (1506-1573), an English courtier who served as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII and later as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another influential figure was Sir Thomas Pelton (1548-1627), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cumberland and held various positions in local government.
In the realm of literature, the surname Pelton is associated with John Pelton (1613-1700), an English writer and clergyman who authored several religious works, including "The Divine Trophies" and "The New Clerk's Guide."
During the 18th century, William Pelton (1725-1792) was a notable English architect credited with designing several buildings in London, including the Foundling Hospital and the Church of St. George in the East.
Moving into the 19th century, John Pelton (1809-1889) was an English author and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Sussex, publishing works such as "The Antiquarian Repertory" and "Illustrations of the Literary History of Sussex."
These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the Pelton surname, which can be traced back to its origins in the northern counties of England, particularly Durham and Northumberland, and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelton
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelton 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 Pelton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 4,830
- Two or more races3.1% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 159
- Black or African American2.9% · 153
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelton
Pelton 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
#5,980
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,753
+576 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 1.95
Rank movement Up 128 places
2020
#6,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,360
-393 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Down 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,108 | 5,177 | 1.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,980 | 5,753 | 1.95 | +576 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 128 places |
| 2020 | #6,127 | 5,360 | 1.79 | -393 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 147 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 Pelton 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 | #5,980 | #6,127 | -2.5% |
| Count | 5,753 | 5,360 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.95 | 1.79 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelton bearers went from 5,753 to 5,360 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,980 to #6,127.
FAQ
Pelton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelton?
Name Census estimates that about 6,146 living Americans carry the surname Pelton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,769 residents.
How common is Pelton?
Pelton ranks #6,127 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,360 people with the surname Pelton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,146), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pelton.
Has Pelton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelton went from 5,753 recorded bearers to 5,360. That is a decrease of 393 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,980 to #6,127.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Pelton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (4,830 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Pelton (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 Pelton mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on a hill." 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 Pelton (1.79 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 Pelton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.