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

Pyles, 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 Pyles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pyles in America

Pyles is the 4622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pyles surname appeared 7,677 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Pyles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pyles 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 Pyles

The surname Pyles has its origins in the Middle English word "pile", which means a stake or palisade. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "pil" or the Latin word "pila", both of which have the same meaning.

This surname is believed to have originated in England during the 12th or 13th century. It was likely an occupational name given to someone who was a maker or worker of piles or palisades, which were often used in the construction of fortifications or fences.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pyles can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire from the year 1212, where a person named Robert Pyles was mentioned.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a William Pyles as a landowner in the village of Bloxham.

A notable bearer of the surname Pyles was John Pyles, a member of the Parliament of England who lived in the 15th century. He was born in Warwickshire around 1420 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Warwick in 1459.

In the 16th century, there was a Richard Pyles who was a renowned clockmaker in London. He was born in 1538 and is credited with making some of the earliest pendulum clocks in England.

Another notable figure with the surname Pyles was Thomas Pyles, an English clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1616 in Gloucestershire and served as the rector of the parish church in the village of Eastington.

During the 18th century, a man named William Pyles gained recognition as a skilled cabinet maker and furniture designer in the city of Bristol. He was born in 1725 and his work was highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic families of the time.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Pyles was James Pyles, a successful businessman and philanthropist from the city of Manchester. He was born in 1812 and made his fortune in the textile industry, but also donated a significant portion of his wealth to various charitable causes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pyles

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

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

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

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