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

Pile, 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 Pile surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pile in America

Pile is the 19296th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pile surname appeared 1,403 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pile.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pile 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 Pile

The surname Pile is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old English word "pyl," meaning a pool or stream, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a body of water.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England compiled by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the name Pile or similar spellings, such as Pyle or Piele. This indicates that the name was well-established in various parts of the country during the Norman period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pile can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1199, which mention a Roger Pile. The Pipe Rolls were administrative records used to document financial transactions during the reign of King Richard I.

Another notable early reference to the name is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list landowners and their holdings in various counties. These rolls include entries for individuals with the surname Pile in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, the Pile family appeared to have been concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, with some branches also present in Somerset and Wiltshire.

One prominent individual with the surname Pile was Sir Thomas Pile (1517-1589), a Member of Parliament and prominent landowner in Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, a notable figure was John Pile (1614-1679), an English Protestant minister and author who wrote several religious works and served as the rector of Whitechurch in Shropshire.

Another individual of note was Ambrose Pile (1684-1748), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who made significant contributions to the city's infrastructure and charitable organizations.

In the 18th century, William Pile (1737-1808) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. George's in Bloomsbury.

Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was George Pile (1808-1883), a British civil engineer and pioneer in the field of railway construction, who was involved in several major projects, including the construction of the London Underground.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pile

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

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

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

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