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

Pilet, 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 Pilet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pilet in America

Pilet is the 111988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pilet surname appeared 157 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 Pilet.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pilet 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 Pilet

The surname Pilet originated in France during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "piler," which means "to grind" or "to pound." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a miller or grinder of grains or other materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pilet can be found in the Ploërmel cartulary, a collection of charters and legal documents from the Ploërmel Abbey in Brittany, France. The cartulary dates back to the 13th century and mentions an individual named Gaufridus Pilet.

In the 14th century, the name Pilet appeared in the records of the town of Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe in the Pays de la Loire region of France. These records document a certain Jehan Pilet, who was a resident of the town during that time.

During the 15th century, the name Pilet gained recognition through the works of Guillaume Pilet, a French poet and author who was born in Auxerre around 1420. He is best known for his allegorical poem "Le Pèlerinage de l'Âme" (The Pilgrimage of the Soul), which was written in 1475.

Another notable individual with the surname Pilet was Étienne Pilet, a French architect and engineer who lived in the 16th century. He was responsible for the construction of several bridges and fortifications in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France.

In the 17th century, the Pilet name was associated with the village of Piles in the Drôme department of southeastern France. This village was once known as "Piles-le-Vieux" or "Piles-les-Vieux," which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Pilet was René Pilet, a French sculptor who lived from 1624 to 1708. He is renowned for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures, many of which can be found in churches and cathedrals throughout France.

As the Pilet surname spread across France and beyond, it experienced some variations in spelling, including Pillet, Pilette, and Pileté. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained tied to the occupation of grinding or milling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pilet

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

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

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

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