Find out how popular the last name Pilotte is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pilotte.
A French surname derived from the word "pilot" or "helmsman".
Pilotte, 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 Pilotte surname is from the 2010 census data.
Pilotte is the 42579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Pilotte surname appeared 509 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 Pilotte.
We can also compare 2010 data for Pilotte 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 | 42579 | 39885 | 6.53% |
| Count | 509 | 518 | -1.75% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.19 | -11.11% |
The surname Pilotte originates from France, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "pilot," which means "navigator" or "helmsman." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive name given to those who worked as navigators or helmsmen on ships or boats.
In the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from occupations, and the name Pilotte likely emerged as a way to identify individuals who were skilled in navigating waterways. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France, where maritime activities were prevalent.
One of the earliest known references to the name Pilotte appears in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen" (Book of the Burgesses of Rouen), a registry of citizens from the city of Rouen, dating back to the 14th century. In this document, the name is spelled "Pillote," which was a common variation at the time.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Pilotte was Jean Pilotte, a French navigator and explorer who participated in the expeditions of Jacques Cartier to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the 16th century. His contributions to these voyages helped establish the French presence in what would later become Canada.
In the 17th century, a family named Pilotte settled in the colony of New France (present-day Quebec, Canada). One of the earliest known members of this family was Jean Pilotte, who was born in 1640 in Quebec City. He worked as a navigator and played a role in the exploration and settlement of the region.
During the 18th century, the Pilotte surname gained prominence in the United States, particularly in the state of Louisiana. One notable figure was Jean-Baptiste Pilotte, a French-born merchant and landowner who lived in New Orleans in the late 1700s.
Another historical figure with the surname Pilotte was François Pilotte, a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer who was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He played a significant role in the exploration of the Canadian Northwest and the fur trade industry.
Throughout history, the Pilotte surname has been associated with navigation, exploration, and maritime activities, reflecting its origins as a descriptive name for those skilled in piloting ships and boats.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pilotte.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pilotte was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.87% | 488 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 2.95% | 15 |
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 Pilotte has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.87% | 97.68% | -1.87% |
| Black | (S)% | 0.97% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 2.95% | 0.97% | 101.02% |
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 Pilotte was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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