2000
#7,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Pilkington
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely meaning "farmstead of a man called Pileca."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,784 Americans carry the last name Pilkington. That puts it at #7,648 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,646 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pilkington 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 Pilkington with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,646
Census rank
#7,648
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,172 bearers of the surname Pilkington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7648th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilkington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pilkington
The surname Pilkington is of English origin, deriving from a habitation name in Lancashire. It is believed to have originated from the Old English elements "pill" or "pylly", meaning a stream or brook, and "ing", meaning a meadow or enclosure. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream or brook in a meadow.
The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the 13th century, with a Gilbert de Pilkynton mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246. The Pilkington family was well-established in the area, particularly around the town of Bury, Lancashire.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Pilkintone" is recorded, which is believed to be the earliest known mention of the place name from which the surname derives. This place name evolved into various spellings over time, including Pylkynton, Pilkyngton, and eventually the modern Pilkington.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Pilkington was Sir John Pilkington (c. 1281-1349), a prominent English knight who served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire and fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence under Edward I and Edward II.
Another notable figure was James Pilkington (c. 1520-1576), an English bishop who served as the Bishop of Durham during the reign of Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was a influential Protestant theologian.
Sir Thomas Pilkington (c. 1628-1691) was an English baronet and Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reign of Charles II. He was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War and was known for his support of the monarchy.
In the literary world, Mary Pilkington (c. 1766-1839) was an Irish novelist and poet who wrote several popular works, including "The Human Heart" and "The Narrative of a Recent Journey."
Lastly, Sir Andrew Pilkington (1857-1925) was a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Blackburn and was knighted for his contributions to industry and public service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pilkington
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilkington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pilkington 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 Pilkington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 3,824
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 139
- Two or more races2.7% · 112
- Black or African American1.2% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pilkington
Pilkington 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
#7,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,336
+115 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 379 places
2020
#7,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,172
-164 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,281 | 4,221 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,660 | 4,336 | 1.47 | +115 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 379 places |
| 2020 | #7,648 | 4,172 | 1.40 | -164 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 12 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 Pilkington 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 | #7,660 | #7,648 | 0.2% |
| Count | 4,336 | 4,172 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.40 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pilkington bearers went from 4,336 to 4,172 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,660 to #7,648.
FAQ
Pilkington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pilkington?
Name Census estimates that about 4,784 living Americans carry the surname Pilkington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,646 residents.
How common is Pilkington?
Pilkington ranks #7,648 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,172 people with the surname Pilkington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,784), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pilkington.
Has Pilkington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pilkington went from 4,336 recorded bearers to 4,172. That is a decrease of 164 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,660 to #7,648.
What does the Census say about the background of Pilkington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilkington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Pilkington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,824 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pilkington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Pilkington (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 Pilkington mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely meaning "farmstead of a man called Pileca." 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 Pilkington (1.40 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 Pilkington?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Pilkington on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.