Explore the Family Name Pelican
The meaning of Pelican
1. Americanized form of French Peloquin. 2. Americanized form of Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian Pelikán or German, Croatian, and Slovenian Pelikan ‘pelican’. 3. In some cases possibly also French: nickname from pélican, Occitan pelican ‘pelican’ (see Pelikan).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pelican in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Pelican" has seen a slight increase in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 56,246th and by 2010 it had moved up to the 55,841st position, reflecting a growth of 0.72%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also increased from 340 in 2000 to 367 in 2010, marking an uptick of 7.94%. However, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased slightly by 7.69% between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #56,246 | #55,841 | 0.72% |
| Count | 340 | 367 | 7.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.12 | -7.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pelican
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Pelican" shows some changes as well, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, 85.59% of individuals with this surname identified as White, which dropped to 78.20% by 2010. Those identifying as Black saw an increase from 12.94% in 2000 to 16.08% in 2010. There were no individuals with the Pelican surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic during either census year. However, there was a new group in 2010, with 4.09% identifying as belonging to two or more races. There were no changes reported for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.59% | 78.2% | -8.63% |
| Black | 12.94% | 16.08% | 24.27% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 4.09% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |