Pilling last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Pilling

A surname derived from a location near a pile or mound.

Pilling, 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 Pilling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pilling in America

Pilling is the 20047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pilling surname appeared 1,334 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 Pilling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pilling 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 20047 19079 4.95%
Count 1,334 1,319 1.13%
Proportion per 100k 0.45 0.49 -8.51%

The history of the last name Pilling

The surname Pilling is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "pylling," which means a stream or brook. The name was initially used as a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived near a small stream or brook.

The earliest known record of the surname Pilling dates back to the 13th century in Lancashire, England. It is believed that the name originated in the village of Pilling, located in the Fylde area of Lancashire, which was named after the small stream that ran through the village.

The Domesday Book of 1086, one of the oldest surviving public records in England, does not contain any mention of the surname Pilling. However, it does reference several place names that are thought to be related to the name, such as "Pilingas" and "Pillinga," which were villages or settlements located near streams or brooks.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pilling was John Pilling, who was born around 1490 in Lancashire, England. Another notable figure was Richard Pilling, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century and owned several properties in Lancashire.

In the 17th century, the surname Pilling began to spread beyond Lancashire as families migrated to other parts of England and even to the American colonies. One notable figure from this period was William Pilling, born in 1620 in Lancashire, who later settled in Virginia and became a successful plantation owner.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Pilling made significant contributions to various fields. For example, John Pilling (1719-1789) was a renowned Anglican priest and author, while Thomas Pilling (1769-1845) was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Lancashire.

Another notable figure was James Pilling (1846-1920), an English linguist and ethnologist who specialized in the study of Native American languages and cultures. He published several influential works on the subject, including the "Bibliography of the Iroquoian Languages" and the "Bibliography of the Siouan Languages."

Throughout history, the surname Pilling has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and professions such as law, medicine, and academia. While the name originated in a specific region of England, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing the surname found in numerous countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pilling

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

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 Pilling was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.05% 1,268
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.67% 9
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.12% 15
Hispanic Origin 2.47% 33

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 Pilling has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.05% 96.06% -1.06%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.67% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.38% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.12% 1.29% -14.11%
Hispanic 2.47% 1.67% 38.65%

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

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

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"Pilling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/pilling-surname-popularity/.

"Pilling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/pilling-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Pilling last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/pilling-surname-popularity/.

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