2000
#4,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,967
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.58
Rare Last name
Pleasant
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a grassy area or an agreeable, likeable person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,995 Americans carry the last name Pleasant. That puts it at #4,904 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,871 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pleasant 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 Pleasant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,871
Census rank
#4,904
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,972 bearers of the surname Pleasant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4904th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pleasant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (33.6%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pleasant
The surname Pleasant is derived from the Old English word 'plæsant', meaning agreeable or pleasing. It is thought to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely as a nickname or descriptive surname given to someone with a pleasant or agreeable disposition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the historical records of Oxfordshire, where a John le Plesaunte is mentioned in 1279. This early spelling variation highlights the surname's roots in the Old English language.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Pleasaunt and Plesaunt, in several regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. This suggests that the name had become more widespread during this time.
The Pleasant surname is also closely associated with the village of Pleasant Stall in Somerset, which was originally known as 'Plesaunt Stelle' in the 13th century. This place name likely contributed to the surname's popularity in the region.
One notable individual with the surname was Sir Thomas Pleasant, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in London during the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1487.
Another historical figure with the surname was John Pleasant, a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in the 1630s. He was one of the founders of the town of Watertown and played a significant role in the early religious life of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the 17th century, the Pleasant surname gained prominence in the county of Devon, where several members of the family held influential positions. One such individual was Sir Walter Pleasant (1594-1671), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as the Attorney General of England and Wales.
During the English Civil War, Captain Thomas Pleasant (1617-1668) was a notable military figure who fought for the Parliamentarian cause. He served under Oliver Cromwell and is remembered for his role in the siege of Colchester in 1648.
Another individual worth mentioning is Samuel Pleasant (1634-1689), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Norwich Cathedral. He was a respected figure in the Church of England and made significant contributions to theological discourse during his lifetime.
The Pleasant surname has a rich history that can be traced back to its Old English roots and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including commerce, religion, law, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pleasant
Among Census respondents with the surname Pleasant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (33.6%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pleasant 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 Pleasant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American54.4% · 3,794
- White33.6% · 2,343
- Two or more races5.3% · 372
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 291
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pleasant
Pleasant 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
#4,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,378
+411 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 139 places
2020
#4,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,972
-406 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,652 | 6,967 | 2.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,791 | 7,378 | 2.50 | +411 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 139 places |
| 2020 | #4,904 | 6,972 | 2.33 | -406 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 113 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 Pleasant 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 | #4,791 | #4,904 | -2.4% |
| Count | 7,378 | 6,972 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.50 | 2.33 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pleasant bearers went from 7,378 to 6,972 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,791 to #4,904.
FAQ
Pleasant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pleasant?
Name Census estimates that about 7,995 living Americans carry the surname Pleasant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,871 residents.
How common is Pleasant?
Pleasant ranks #4,904 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,972 people with the surname Pleasant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,995), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pleasant.
Has Pleasant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pleasant went from 7,378 recorded bearers to 6,972. That is a decrease of 406 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,791 to #4,904.
What does the Census say about the background of Pleasant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pleasant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (33.6%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pleasant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.4% (3,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pleasant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (54.4%), White (33.6%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Pleasant (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 Pleasant mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a grassy area or an agreeable, likeable person. 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 Pleasant (2.33 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 Americans have the surname Pleasant?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.