2000
#12,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Pilon
A French occupational surname referring to a pounder or crusher, likely of grains or materials.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,588 Americans carry the last name Pilon. That puts it at #13,010 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,440 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pilon 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.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 132,440
Census rank
#13,010
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,257 bearers of the surname Pilon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13010th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilon, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pilon
The surname Pilon originated in France during the late medieval period. It was derived from the Old French word "piler," which meant "to pound" or "to crush." This name was likely given to someone who worked as a miller or a grain crusher. The name was initially found in the northern regions of France, particularly in areas such as Normandy and Picardy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pilon can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Reims, a medieval manuscript from the 13th century that documented the names of citizens in the city of Reims. The name was also present in various other historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, including tax records and parish registers.
In the 17th century, several notable individuals bore the surname Pilon. One such person was Jean Pilon (1617-1705), a French architect who designed the iconic Porte Saint-Denis in Paris. Another was François Pilon (1616-1676), a French sculptor known for his works in marble and bronze.
During the 18th century, the name Pilon spread to other parts of Europe, including Belgium and the Netherlands. One notable figure from this era was Jacques Pilon (1738-1805), a Flemish painter known for his landscapes and religious paintings.
In the 19th century, the name Pilon was carried to other parts of the world by French emigrants. One example is Pierre Pilon (1822-1901), a French-Canadian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.
Another historical figure with the surname Pilon was Germain Pilon (1535-1590), a renowned French sculptor active during the Renaissance. He was known for his work on the tombs of King Henry II and Catherine de' Medici, as well as for his sculptures adorning the Louvre Palace.
Throughout history, the surname Pilon has been associated with various occupations, from millers and farmers to artists and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has since spread across different regions and cultures, reflecting the diverse histories and migrations of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pilon
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilon, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pilon 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 Pilon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 1,991
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 147
- Two or more races3.5% · 80
- Black or African American0.8% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pilon
Pilon 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
#11,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,647
+381 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 721 places
2020
#13,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,257
-390 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 1,189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,542 | 2,266 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,821 | 2,647 | 0.90 | +381 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 721 places |
| 2020 | #13,010 | 2,257 | 0.76 | -390 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 1,189 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 Pilon 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 | #11,821 | #13,010 | -10.1% |
| Count | 2,647 | 2,257 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.76 | -16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pilon bearers went from 2,647 to 2,257 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 1,189 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,821 to #13,010.
FAQ
Pilon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pilon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,588 living Americans carry the surname Pilon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,440 residents.
How common is Pilon?
Pilon ranks #13,010 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,257 people with the surname Pilon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,588), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Pilon.
Has Pilon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pilon went from 2,647 recorded bearers to 2,257. That is a decrease of 390 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,821 to #13,010.
What does the Census say about the background of Pilon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilon, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Pilon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (1,991 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pilon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Pilon (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 Pilon mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a pounder or crusher, likely of grains or materials. 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 Pilon (0.76 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 surname Pilon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.