2000
#5,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,302
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Pilcher
An occupational surname for a maker of pilches, a type of medieval garment made from animal skins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,757 Americans carry the last name Pilcher. That puts it at #6,499 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pilcher 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 Pilcher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,537
Census rank
#6,499
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,020 bearers of the surname Pilcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6499th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pilcher
The surname Pilcher is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "pylcere" or "pilece," meaning a maker or seller of cloaks, coats, or other outer garments. This occupational surname emerged during the medieval period, when it was common practice for individuals to adopt surnames based on their trades or professions.
The name Pilcher can be traced back to the county of Somerset in South West England, where it was particularly prevalent in the 13th and 14th centuries. Early records mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Pylcher, Pilchour, and Pilcher, living in towns like Taunton and Yeovil.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Pilcher can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, which list a John le Pilchour among the taxpayers. This record suggests that the name was already established in the region by the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the Pilcher surname appeared in various historical records, including the Patent Rolls of 1459, which mention a William Pilcher from Dorset. Another notable individual was John Pilcher (c. 1440-1501), a prominent English jurist and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Henry VII.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Pilcher family dispersed across different parts of England, with branches establishing themselves in counties like Devon, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One prominent figure from this period was Roger Pilcher (1565-1623), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Cheriton, Hampshire.
As the name spread, it also became associated with certain place names. For instance, the hamlet of Pilcher's Hill in Dorset likely derived its name from the Pilcher family who resided there. Similarly, Pilcher's Gate in Nottinghamshire may have been named after a local landowner or resident with the surname.
Other notable individuals with the Pilcher surname include:
1. Thomas Pilcher (1621-1677), an English Puritan clergyman and author known for his work "A Modest Vindication of the Doctrine of Conditions."
2. Samuel Pilcher (1770-1838), an English Quaker minister and abolitionist who campaigned against slavery.
3. George Pilcher (1816-1873), a British civil engineer who worked on various railway projects in India.
4. Mary Pilcher (1836-1923), an American writer and poet from Indiana, known for her work "The Reformed Houskeeper."
5. William A. Pilcher (1866-1950), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Washington.
While the Pilcher surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British emigration and colonization. However, this detailed history focuses specifically on the English origins and early records of the Pilcher surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pilcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pilcher 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 Pilcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 4,219
- Black or African American6.5% · 324
- Two or more races3.6% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 161
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pilcher
Pilcher 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
#6,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,391
+89 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Down 351 places
2020
#6,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,020
-371 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 170 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,978 | 5,302 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,329 | 5,391 | 1.83 | +89 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 351 places |
| 2020 | #6,499 | 5,020 | 1.68 | -371 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 170 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 Pilcher 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 | #6,329 | #6,499 | -2.7% |
| Count | 5,391 | 5,020 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.83 | 1.68 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pilcher bearers went from 5,391 to 5,020 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 170 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,329 to #6,499.
FAQ
Pilcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pilcher?
Name Census estimates that about 5,757 living Americans carry the surname Pilcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,537 residents.
How common is Pilcher?
Pilcher ranks #6,499 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,020 people with the surname Pilcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,757), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pilcher.
Has Pilcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pilcher went from 5,391 recorded bearers to 5,020. That is a decrease of 371 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,329 to #6,499.
What does the Census say about the background of Pilcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pilcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (4,219 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pilcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pilcher (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 Pilcher mean?
An occupational surname for a maker of pilches, a type of medieval garment made from animal skins. 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 Pilcher (1.68 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 Pilcher?
See how common the surname Pilcher is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.