2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pilarz
A Polish surname meaning "sawyer" or someone who saws wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Pilarz. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pilarz 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Pilarz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilarz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pilarz
The surname Pilarz is of Polish origin, derived from the Polish word "pilarz" which means "sawyer" or "sawmill worker." The name first emerged in the Middle Ages, likely around the 13th or 14th century, in the regions of modern-day Poland.
The earliest known record of the surname Pilarz can be found in a document from the city of Krakow, dated 1398, which mentions a certain Jan Pilarz. This suggests that the name was already established in the area by the late 14th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance period, the Pilarz surname was primarily concentrated in the regions of Lesser Poland, Silesia, and Masovia. The name was commonly associated with individuals involved in the timber industry or related trades, such as carpentry or woodworking.
One notable individual bearing the Pilarz surname was Stanislaw Pilarz (1522-1589), a Polish theologian and writer from the city of Poznan. He was a prominent figure in the Polish Reformation movement and authored several religious works.
In the 17th century, the Pilarz surname can be found in various records from the towns of Kielce and Radom, indicating the spread of the name across central Poland. During this time, a branch of the Pilarz family established itself in the village of Pilarzyzna, which likely derived its name from the family's presence in the area.
The 18th century saw the rise of Michal Pilarz (1736-1804), a Polish military officer who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's army. He participated in several campaigns against the Russian Empire and was known for his bravery and leadership skills.
As the Pilarz surname continued to spread across Poland in the 19th century, it also began to appear in other parts of Europe due to migration and population movements. For instance, records show Pilarz families settling in areas of modern-day Germany, Ukraine, and Belarus.
One notable figure from this period was Jozef Pilarz (1842-1918), a Polish engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Warsaw Philharmonic.
Throughout its history, the Pilarz surname has been associated with various professions, ranging from sawmill workers and carpenters to military officers, theologians, and architects. While the name originated in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pilarz
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilarz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pilarz 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 Pilarz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 10
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pilarz
Pilarz 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,559 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,559 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,858 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 Pilarz 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 | #148,347 | #150,205 | -1.3% |
| Count | 111 | 109 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pilarz bearers went from 111 to 109 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,858 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #150,205.
FAQ
Pilarz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pilarz?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Pilarz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Pilarz?
Pilarz ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Pilarz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Pilarz.
Has Pilarz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pilarz went from 111 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Pilarz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilarz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Pilarz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pilarz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Hispanic (9.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Pilarz (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 Pilarz mean?
A Polish surname meaning "sawyer" or someone who saws wood. 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 Pilarz (0.04 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 Pilarz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.