Explore the Family Name Pilar

The meaning of Pilar

Spanish: from a short form of the Marian name María del Pilar or title Nuestra Señora del Pilar ‘Our Lady of the Pillar’ (from pilar ‘pillar, column’), a title under which Virgin Mary is venerated in Zaragoza. The surname may also be a reference to a local church dedicated to the Virgin Mary bearing this title. Compare Del Pilar. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Guillermo, Alvaro, Anastacio, Angelina, Arana, Arminda, Claudio, Diego, Dominador, Florencio, Jose, Luis.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Pilar has seen a surge in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it sat at rank 32,161 but rose to 27,604 in 2010, indicating a 14.17% increase. The count of individuals carrying this surname also expanded from 676 to 872 during this time - an impressive growth rate of 28.99%. For every 100,000 people, the proportion with the Pilar surname grew from 0.25 to 0.3, which equates to a 20% rise.

20002010Change
Rank#32,161#27,60414.17%
Count67687228.99%
Proportion per 100k0.250.320%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pilar

In terms of ethnicity as per the information from the Decennial U.S. Census, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with the Pilar surname saw modest growth, moving from 25.15% in 2000 to 27.29% in 2010. This represents an 8.51% change. However, the proportion of individuals recognizing themselves as White dropped significantly by 33.51%, descending from 27.07% to 18% over the same period. Within the Hispanic community, there was a noticeable ascendancy of 15.01%, increasing from 44.97% to 51.72%. The percentage identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained unchanged at 0%. Similarly, the group that identified as having two or more ethnic identities witnessed a slight dip from 2.37% to 2.29%.

20002010Change
Hispanic44.97%51.72%15.01%
Asian/Pacific Islander25.15%27.29%8.51%
White27.07%18%-33.51%
Two or More Races2.37%2.29%-3.38%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%