2000
#31,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 708
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Pilson
A surname derived from a place name, possibly a locational surname referring to someone from Pilton, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,001 Americans carry the last name Pilson. That puts it at #28,958 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 342,412 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pilson 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 Pilson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 342,412
Census rank
#28,958
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
873
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 873 bearers of the surname Pilson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28958th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pilson
The surname Pilson is of English origin, deriving from the Old English personal name Pylsun, which was composed of the elements "pyl" meaning "pool" or "creek" and "sun" meaning "son." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a pool or creek.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Pilson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Pylsune." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Pilson was primarily concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in northern England. This is likely due to the presence of numerous pools and creeks in these regions, making the name a descriptive one for inhabitants living near such bodies of water.
Over time, the name Pilson underwent various spelling variations, including Pylson, Pilsonne, and Pilsun, before the modern spelling became standardized.
One notable figure bearing the Pilson surname was Sir Robert Pilson (1563-1639), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in the early 17th century.
Another individual of historical significance was John Pilson (1677-1753), a prominent Quaker minister and author from Yorkshire, known for his religious writings and advocacy of pacifism.
In the 19th century, William Pilson (1822-1899) was a renowned Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Olympia Theatre and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Mary Pilson (1887-1962), an American botanist and ecologist, made significant contributions to the study of plant ecology and succession, particularly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Another notable figure was James Pilson (1901-1975), a British journalist and war correspondent who covered major conflicts such as World War II and the Korean War for various news organizations.
While the Pilson surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with notable individuals bearing the name across various fields and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pilson
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pilson 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 Pilson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.8% · 566
- Black or African American22.3% · 195
- Two or more races6.5% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pilson
Pilson 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
#28,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 833
+125 bearers (+17.7%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 2,396 places
2020
#28,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 873
+40 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 340 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,014 | 708 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,618 | 833 | 0.28 | +125 bearers (+17.7%) | Up 2,396 places |
| 2020 | #28,958 | 873 | 0.29 | +40 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 340 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 Pilson 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 | #28,618 | #28,958 | -1.2% |
| Count | 833 | 873 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.29 | 4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pilson bearers went from 833 to 873 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 340 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,618 to #28,958.
FAQ
Pilson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pilson?
Name Census estimates that about 1,001 living Americans carry the surname Pilson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 342,412 residents.
How common is Pilson?
Pilson ranks #28,958 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 873 people with the surname Pilson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,001), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Pilson.
Has Pilson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pilson went from 833 recorded bearers to 873. That is an increase of 40 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,618 to #28,958.
What does the Census say about the background of Pilson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Pilson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.8% (566 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pilson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.8%), Black (22.3%), Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Pilson (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 Pilson mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly a locational surname referring to someone from Pilton, England. 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 Pilson (0.29 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 Pilson?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Pilson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.