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

Pemberton, 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 Pemberton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pemberton in America

Pemberton is the 3207th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pemberton surname appeared 11,272 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Pemberton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pemberton 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 Pemberton

The surname Pemberton traces its origins back to England. It is derived from the Old English words "Pendre" meaning a valley or slope, and "Tun" meaning a farm or settlement. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a valley or slope.

The name is first recorded in the 12th century in Lancashire, where it referred to a small village named Pemberton near Wigan. This place name is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1176 as "Penberton". Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Pemberton.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pemberton was Roger de Pemberton, who was mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246. The name also appears in the Wigan Parish Records of 1592, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.

In the 16th century, records show a John Pemberton (1550-1628) who was a Quaker preacher and one of the earliest settlers in Pennsylvania, USA. He arrived in the colony in 1682 and established a settlement near present-day Philadelphia.

Another notable figure was Henry Pemberton (1694-1771), an English mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of optics and the motion of projectiles. He served as the Gresham Professor of Physic and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1720.

During the American Revolutionary War, John Pemberton (1757-1795) served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and fought in several battles, including the Battle of Brandywine in 1777.

In the 19th century, John Pemberton (1831-1888) was a pharmacist from Georgia who invented the famous Coca-Cola soft drink in 1886. His creation became a global phenomenon and one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

Another notable bearer of the name was Michael Pemberton (1885-1950), an English cricketer who played for Lancashire and England in the early 20th century. He was a skilled right-handed batsman and played in several Test matches against Australia and South Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pemberton

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

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

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

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