2000
#8,674
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,490
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Pickle
An occupational surname for a seller of vegetables or for someone who lived near a small field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,649 Americans carry the last name Pickle. That puts it at #9,734 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,931 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pickle 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
3.6K
1 in 93,931
Census rank
#9,734
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,182 bearers of the surname Pickle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9734th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pickle
The surname "PICKLE" is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "pickil," which referred to a bundle of grain or hay. It is believed to have emerged as a descriptive surname for someone who worked with or sold bundles of grain or hay during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1197, where a William Pikel is mentioned. The name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285, which mentions a John Pykyl.
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was often associated with places like Pickhill in Yorkshire and Picklescott in Shropshire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "pic" and "hyll," meaning "hill with a pointed summit," and "pic" and "cot," meaning "cottage on a pointed hill."
One notable bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Pickle (c. 1515-1589), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was John Pickle (1631-1706), a British merchant and landowner who served as Sheriff of London in 1692.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records, such as the baptism of John Pickle in St. Mary's Church, Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1645. The surname also appeared in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674, which listed several Pickle households in various counties across England.
During the 18th century, the name was associated with notable figures like Reverend Samuel Pickle (1711-1782), an English clergyman and author who served as Rector of Willesden in Middlesex. Another prominent bearer was Admiral Sir Thomas Pickle (1745-1818), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
As the centuries progressed, the name continued to be found in various records and manuscripts, reflecting its enduring presence in English society. While the surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has since been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, contributing to the rich tapestry of English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pickle
Among Census respondents with the surname Pickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pickle 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 Pickle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 2,882
- Two or more races4.1% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 87
- Black or African American1.5% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pickle
Pickle 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
#9,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,425
-65 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 819 places
2020
#9,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,182
-243 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 241 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,674 | 3,490 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,493 | 3,425 | 1.16 | -65 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 819 places |
| 2020 | #9,734 | 3,182 | 1.06 | -243 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 241 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 Pickle 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 | #9,493 | #9,734 | -2.5% |
| Count | 3,425 | 3,182 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.06 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pickle bearers went from 3,425 to 3,182 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 241 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,493 to #9,734.
FAQ
Pickle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pickle?
Name Census estimates that about 3,649 living Americans carry the surname Pickle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,931 residents.
How common is Pickle?
Pickle ranks #9,734 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,182 people with the surname Pickle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,649), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pickle.
Has Pickle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pickle went from 3,425 recorded bearers to 3,182. That is a decrease of 243 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,493 to #9,734.
What does the Census say about the background of Pickle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Pickle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,882 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pickle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Pickle (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 Pickle mean?
An occupational surname for a seller of vegetables or for someone who lived near a small field. 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 Pickle (1.06 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 Pickle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.