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

Pilkinton, 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 Pilkinton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pilkinton in America

Pilkinton is the 24718th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pilkinton surname appeared 1,009 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 Pilkinton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pilkinton 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 Pilkinton

The surname Pilkinton originated in England. It is believed to have derived from a place name, likely referring to a now lost or obscure location. The name is thought to be composed of the Old English elements "pill" or "pyll," meaning a pool or stream, and "tun," meaning an enclosure or settlement.

One of the earliest known records of the Pilkinton surname is found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1311, where a John de Pylkynton is mentioned. This suggests the name was well-established in the northwest of England by the early 14th century.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the Pilkinton name. However, it does list several places with similar-sounding names, such as Pillerton in Warwickshire and Pilton in Somerset, indicating the potential origins of the surname in such locations.

A notable early bearer of the Pilkinton name was Sir John Pilkinton, who served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in the late 14th century. Another prominent figure was Leonard Pilkinton (c. 1516-1599), an English Protestant reformer and theologian who served as the Bishop of Durham.

In the 17th century, Roger Pilkinton (1609-1667) was a notable English lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons during the English Civil War. Lætitia Pilkington (1712-1750), an Irish poet and writer, is also a noteworthy individual associated with this surname.

Moving into the 19th century, Walter Pilkington (1839-1925) was a British businessman and co-founder of the Pilkington Glass Company, one of the world's largest manufacturers of flat glass products.

Throughout its history, the Pilkinton surname has seen various spellings, including Pylkynton, Pilkington, and Pilkinton, reflecting the evolution of the English language over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pilkinton

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

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

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

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