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

Pilger, 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 Pilger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pilger in America

Pilger is the 21288th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pilger surname appeared 1,231 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 Pilger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pilger 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 Pilger

The surname Pilger is of German origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "pilgrim," which means "pilgrim" or "traveler." The name was likely given to someone who had been on a religious pilgrimage, such as to Rome or the Holy Land.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Pilger can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the Duchy of Saxony. In this collection, a person named Conradus Pilger is mentioned in a document dated 1289.

Another early reference to the name Pilger can be found in the Liber Vitae, a medieval manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of Durham Cathedral in England. This manuscript, which dates back to the 12th century, contains a list of names, including that of a person named Robertus Pilger.

In the 14th century, a nobleman named Johann Pilger von Salzburg was a prominent figure in the city of Salzburg, Austria. He served as a councilor and held various administrative positions in the city.

During the Renaissance period, a German artist named Hans Pilger (c. 1490-1555) gained recognition for his religious paintings and altarpieces. His works can be found in churches and museums across Germany and Austria.

In the 17th century, a German theologian and philosopher named Samuel Pilger (1597-1663) made significant contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy. He served as a professor at the University of Leipzig and wrote several influential works on ethics and natural law.

Another notable individual with the surname Pilger was the German explorer and naturalist Georg Pilger (1846-1917). He traveled extensively in Africa and made important contributions to the study of African flora and fauna.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Pilger who have left their mark on history in various fields, ranging from art and literature to exploration and theology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pilger

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

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

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

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