2000
#91,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Pilarte
A surname potentially derived from the Spanish words "pilar" meaning pillar and "arte" meaning art or trade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 370 Americans carry the last name Pilarte. That puts it at #66,171 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 926,363 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pilarte 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
370
1 in 926,363
Census rank
#66,171
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
323
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 323 bearers of the surname Pilarte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 66171st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilarte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pilarte
The surname PILARTE originated in Spain during the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "pilar," meaning a pillar or column, and the suffix "-te," indicating a person or place associated with pillars or columns. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent pillar or column, or perhaps someone who worked as a stonemason or builder of such structures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PILARTE surname can be found in the municipal archives of Seville, Spain, dating back to the late 1500s. These records document a family of PILARTEs who were involved in the construction and maintenance of some of the city's notable churches and cathedrals.
During the 17th century, the name PILARTE began to spread beyond Spain, with some members of the family migrating to various Spanish colonies in the Americas. In particular, there are records of PILARTEs settling in Mexico, Peru, and Argentina during this period.
One notable PILARTE from this era was Juan Pilarte (1612-1681), a Spanish architect and engineer who oversaw the construction of several important buildings in Lima, Peru, including the Church of San Francisco and the Convent of the Descalzas. His work was highly praised for its innovative use of earthquake-resistant techniques, which helped ensure the longevity of these structures.
In the 18th century, the PILARTE name appeared in various parts of Europe, likely as a result of migration and intermarriage. For instance, there are records of a family named PILARTE living in the town of Avignon, France, during the late 1700s.
Another significant figure bearing the PILARTE surname was María Pilarte (1745-1823), a Spanish writer and educator who authored several influential works on women's education and rights. She was a vocal advocate for improving educational opportunities for girls and was considered a pioneer in the field of feminist thought in Spain.
As the 19th century dawned, the PILARTE name continued to spread across different parts of the world, with members of the family settling in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable American PILARTE was William Pilarte (1820-1892), a Civil War veteran and politician who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the late 1800s.
In more recent times, the PILARTE surname has been associated with various fields, including the arts, sciences, and business. For example, Miguel Pilarte (1918-2002) was a renowned Spanish painter and sculptor whose works are featured in several prestigious museums and galleries across Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pilarte
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilarte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pilarte 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 Pilarte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.3% · 295
- White4.0% · 13
- Black or African American2.5% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pilarte
Pilarte 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
#62,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 320
+134 bearers (+72.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 29,270 places
2020
#66,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 323
+3 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,640 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #91,801 | 186 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #62,531 | 320 | 0.11 | +134 bearers (+72.0%) | Up 29,270 places |
| 2020 | #66,171 | 323 | 0.11 | +3 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 3,640 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 Pilarte 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 | #62,531 | #66,171 | -5.8% |
| Count | 320 | 323 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pilarte bearers went from 320 to 323 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 3,640 positions in the national ranking, going from #62,531 to #66,171.
FAQ
Pilarte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pilarte?
Name Census estimates that about 370 living Americans carry the surname Pilarte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 926,363 residents.
How common is Pilarte?
Pilarte ranks #66,171 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 323 people with the surname Pilarte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (370), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pilarte.
Has Pilarte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pilarte went from 320 recorded bearers to 323. That is an increase of 3 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #62,531 to #66,171.
What does the Census say about the background of Pilarte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilarte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (2.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pilarte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (295 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pilarte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.3%), White (4.0%), Black (2.5%). 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 Pilarte (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 Pilarte mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Spanish words "pilar" meaning pillar and "arte" meaning art or trade. 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 Pilarte (0.11 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 common is the surname Pilarte?
Find out how many people are called Pilarte on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.