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

Pleasants, 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 Pleasants surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pleasants in America

Pleasants is the 15309th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pleasants surname appeared 1,917 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 Pleasants.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pleasants 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 Pleasants

The Pleasants surname has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "plaisant," which means pleasant or agreeable. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone with a pleasant or friendly demeanor.

In the medieval period, surnames were often descriptive, referring to a person's physical characteristics, occupation, or place of origin. The Pleasants surname falls into the category of descriptive surnames, specifically referring to a personal trait or characteristic.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pleasants surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as "le Plesaunt," reflecting the Old French spelling.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname began to appear in various spellings, such as Pleysaunt, Plesaunt, and Pleasants, reflecting the evolution of English spelling and pronunciation over time.

Notable historical figures with the Pleasants surname include:

1. John Pleasants (c. 1597-1677), an early English settler in Virginia and a prominent planter in Henrico County.
2. Robert Pleasants (1723-1801), an American Quaker and merchant who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.
3. Jonathan Pleasants (1787-1859), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Governor's Council.
4. James Pleasants Jr. (1769-1836), an American planter and politician who served as the Governor of Virginia from 1822 to 1825.
5. John Hampden Pleasants (1797-1858), an American physician and writer who authored several medical works and served as the editor of the Virginia Medical and Surgical Journal.

The Pleasants surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Pleasants Hill in Leicestershire, and Pleasants Farm in Kent, suggesting that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.

While the Pleasants surname can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by individuals of English descent who emigrated from the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pleasants

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

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

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

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