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

Pillow, 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 Pillow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pillow in America

Pillow is the 10382nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pillow surname appeared 3,103 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pillow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pillow 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 Pillow

The surname PILLOW is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, specifically in the county of Gloucestershire. It is derived from the Old English word "pyle," meaning a bolster or cushion, combined with the suffix "-ow," indicating a location or place.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the PILLOW name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, where it appears as "William atte Pylowe." This entry suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname or as a reference to a specific location associated with pillows or cushions.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the PILLOW surname appeared in various documents and records across the West Country region of England, particularly in Somerset, Wiltshire, and Dorset. It was often spelled in different variations, such as "Pylow," "Pylowe," and "Pylough," reflecting the phonetic spelling practices of the time.

In the 16th century, the PILLOW surname began to spread more widely across England. One notable figure bearing this name was John Pillow, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Tunbridge, Kent, in 1557 during the Marian Persecutions under Queen Mary I.

The PILLOW surname also has a connection to place names. In the parish of Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, there is a location known as "Pillow Green," which may have been derived from the surname or vice versa.

Throughout history, several individuals with the PILLOW surname have achieved notable recognition. One example is Gideon Pillow (1806-1886), an American military officer who served in the Mexican-American War and later as a Confederate general during the American Civil War.

Another prominent figure was Jeremiah Pillow (1827-1898), an American politician and lawyer from Tennessee who served as a Confederate colonel during the Civil War and later as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

In the 19th century, William Pillow (1830-1901) was a British artist and portrait painter who exhibited his works at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries in London.

More recently, Mary Pillow Cook (1904-1984) was an American author and educator known for her children's books and her work in promoting literacy and education.

Finally, Willard Roscoe Pillow (1908-1987) was an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Pillow Supply Company, a successful bedding and textile manufacturing company based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pillow

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

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

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

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