2000
#2,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,026
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.94
Uncommon Last name
Pendleton
From an English place name meaning "farm belonging to Penda," an Old English personal name meaning "brave."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,993 Americans carry the last name Pendleton. That puts it at #2,258 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,049 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pendleton 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 Pendleton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,049
Census rank
#2,258
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,691 bearers of the surname Pendleton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2258th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pendleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pendleton
The surname Pendleton is of English origin, with roots that can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old English words "penda" and "tun," meaning "valley" and "enclosure" or "settlement," respectively. It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a settlement or village located in a valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pendleton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Pendelton." This seminal record of landholdings in England at the time of the Norman Conquest provides evidence that the name was already well-established in certain parts of the country by the late 11th century.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Pendilton, Pendeltun, and Pendelton, reflecting the evolving nature of language and regional dialects. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the place names from which the surname originated, such as the village of Pendleton in Lancashire or the town of Pendleton in Staffordshire.
One notable figure bearing the Pendleton surname was Sir George Pendleton (1539-1613), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament and held several important positions during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was Nathaniel Pendleton (1756-1820), an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later became a judge in New York.
In the realm of literature, Pendleton Murrah (1834-1905) was an American novelist and poet known for his works that explored themes of Southern life and culture. Edmund Pendleton (1721-1803), a prominent Virginian statesman and judge, played a significant role in the American Revolution and the formation of the United States Constitution.
The name Pendleton has also been associated with various place names, such as Pendleton County in West Virginia and the city of Pendleton in Oregon, both of which were likely named after individuals bearing this surname.
Throughout history, the Pendleton surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience and the enduring legacy of names that have spanned generations and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pendleton
Among Census respondents with the surname Pendleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pendleton 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 Pendleton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.8% · 10,950
- Black or African American20.9% · 3,281
- Two or more races4.4% · 696
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 546
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 106
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pendleton
Pendleton 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
#2,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,751
+725 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 5.68
Rank movement Down 92 places
2020
#2,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,691
-1,060 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 5.25
Rank movement Down 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,076 | 16,026 | 5.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,168 | 16,751 | 5.68 | +725 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 92 places |
| 2020 | #2,258 | 15,691 | 5.25 | -1,060 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 90 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 Pendleton 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 | #2,168 | #2,258 | -4.2% |
| Count | 16,751 | 15,691 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.68 | 5.25 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pendleton bearers went from 16,751 to 15,691 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,168 to #2,258.
FAQ
Pendleton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pendleton?
Name Census estimates that about 17,993 living Americans carry the surname Pendleton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,049 residents.
How common is Pendleton?
Pendleton ranks #2,258 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,691 people with the surname Pendleton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,993), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Pendleton.
Has Pendleton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pendleton went from 16,751 recorded bearers to 15,691. That is a decrease of 1,060 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,168 to #2,258.
What does the Census say about the background of Pendleton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pendleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Pendleton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.8% (10,950 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pendleton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.8%), Black (20.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Pendleton (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 Pendleton mean?
From an English place name meaning "farm belonging to Penda," an Old English personal name meaning "brave." 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 Pendleton (5.25 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 have the last name Pendleton?
You can see how common the surname Pendleton is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.