Explore the Family Name Pelissier

The meaning of Pelissier

French (Pélissier): occupational name from Old French pelicier ‘furrier’ (an agent derivative of pelice ‘fur cloak’, from Late Latin pellicia, from pellis ‘skin, fur’). The surname was also taken to Britain by Huguenot refugees. History: Pierre Pélissier dit Lafeuillade from France married Marie-Clémence Harel in Sorel, QC, in 1714. Some characteristic forenames: French Georges, Marcel, Alain, Huguette, Leandre, Lydie, Normand, Pascal.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Pelissier in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Pelissier has seen a slight increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the Pelissier name was ranked at 37,429 with a count of 560 instances across the country. However, by 2010, the ranking had improved to 36,788 and the count increased to 607, representing an 8.39% rise in usage over the decade. Despite this growth, the relative proportion per 100k people remained constant at 0.21.

20002010Change
Rank#37,429#36,7881.71%
Count5606078.39%
Proportion per 100k0.210.210%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pelissier

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data illuminates changes within the distribution of the Pelissier surname's ethnic identity between 2000 and 2010. In both years, no instances of this surname were found among Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native populations. The majority of Pelissiers identified as White, although this percentage decreased from 71.07% in 2000 to 64.74% in 2010. During the same period, there was a notable increase in the percentage of Black individuals bearing the Pelissier surname, up from 21.79% to 27.84%. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic also rose slightly, while the proportion identifying as two or more races saw a decrease.

20002010Change
White71.07%64.74%-8.91%
Black21.79%27.84%27.77%
Two or More Races3.93%2.8%-28.75%
Hispanic2.5%2.8%12%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%