2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pillans
A Scottish surname derived from the word "peilleans" meaning a bald or tonsured person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Pillans. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pillans 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 Pillans with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Pillans in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pillans, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pillans
The surname Pillans originated in Scotland during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Scots word "pillan," meaning "to strip" or "to peel," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a peeler or stripper of bark or hides.
The earliest known record of the Pillans surname appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One entry mentions a "Ricardus Pillane" from Berwickshire.
In the 15th century, the Pillans family was well-established in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. Records from this period include a mention of a "William Pillance" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1456.
One notable figure with the Pillans surname was Robert Pillans (1499-1579), a Scottish churchman who served as the Bishop of Moray from 1548 until his death. He played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation and was known for his support of the Protestant cause.
Another noteworthy individual was James Pillans (1778-1864), a Scottish educator and classical scholar who served as the Rector of the High School of Edinburgh from 1810 to 1838. He was instrumental in reforming the Scottish education system and was a respected author of several educational works.
In the 19th century, the Pillans surname spread beyond Scotland, with families settling in various parts of the British Empire, including Canada and Australia. One notable Australian figure was John Pillans (1857-1919), a politician and businessman who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1904 to 1919.
Another significant individual was Morice Pillans (1834-1917), a New Zealand politician and lawyer who served as the Mayor of Auckland from 1873 to 1874 and was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 1888 to 1917.
While the Pillans surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread globally, with bearers of the name making contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pillans
Among Census respondents with the surname Pillans, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pillans 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 Pillans surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 92
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pillans
Pillans 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,187 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 Pillans 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 | #150,452 | #151,639 | -0.8% |
| Count | 109 | 107 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pillans bearers went from 109 to 107 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,187 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #151,639.
FAQ
Pillans surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pillans?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Pillans. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Pillans?
Pillans ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Pillans. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pillans.
Has Pillans become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pillans went from 109 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Pillans?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pillans, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Pillans in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pillans appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Pillans (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 Pillans mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the word "peilleans" meaning a bald or tonsured person. 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 Pillans (0.04 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 are called Pillans?
Want to know how many people are called Pillans? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.