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

Pidgeon, 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 Pidgeon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pidgeon in America

Pidgeon is the 16188th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pidgeon surname appeared 1,785 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pidgeon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pidgeon 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 Pidgeon

The surname Pidgeon is of English origin and derives from the Old French word "pigeon" meaning a pigeon or dove. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who attracted pigeons or had some association with the bird.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard Pijon from Huntingdonshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also mention a John Pijun. These early spellings highlight the variations that existed before the surname became standardized.

In later centuries, the name can be found in various historical records. The Hearth Tax Returns of 1674 for London list a Thomas Pidgeon, while the Register of the University of Oxford from 1615 includes a John Pidgeon who matriculated at Magdalen Hall.

Several notable individuals have borne the Pidgeon surname throughout history. One of the earliest was Walter Pidgeon, a 14th-century English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon in 1379. Another was David Pidgeon (1714-1762), a British naval officer who achieved the rank of Admiral.

In the literary world, Ralph Pidgeon (1789-1855) was a Scottish writer and poet, known for his work "The Scenery of Scotland." Meanwhile, Edward Pidgeon (1870-1952) was a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Curzon Cinema.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the name was Walter Pidgeon (1897-1984), the Canadian-American actor who starred in numerous Hollywood films, including Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Forbidden Planet (1956). He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Mrs. Miniver.

While the name Pidgeon may have originated as a nickname, it has endured through the centuries, with individuals bearing this surname leaving their mark in various fields, from politics and literature to architecture and the performing arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pidgeon

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

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

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

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