Explore the Family Name Pilley

The meaning of Pilley

English: habitational name from either of two places so named. One in southern Yorkshire is recorded as Pillei in Domesday Book and as Pillay in the late 12th century. It is probably from Old English pīl ‘pile, post’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’, i.e. a wood where timber for piles could be obtained. The other, in Hampshire, appears in Domesday Book as Piste(s)lei, but has later spellings resembling those for Pilley in Yorkshire, and may have the same etymology.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Pilley has seen a slight decline in popularity. In the year 2000, it was ranked 49,471st and by 2010, it had slipped to 55,121st, a decrease of 11.42%. The total count of people with this surname also dropped from 399 to 373 between 2000 and 2010, marking a 6.52% decrease. Consequently, the proportion of people named Pilley per 100,000 has also decreased by 13.33%.

20002010Change
Rank#49,471#55,121-11.42%
Count399373-6.52%
Proportion per 100k0.150.13-13.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pilley

As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Pilley, Decennial U.S. Census data shows that a vast majority of individuals who carry this surname identify as White. Between 2000 and 2010, this percentage slightly increased from 94.24% to 95.71%. However, there are also individuals who identify as being of two or more races, which increased from 1.25% to 1.34% within the same timeframe. A small percentage also identifies as Hispanic, but this number decreased by 14.74% from 2.51% to 2.14%. There were no recorded instances of individuals with the surname Pilley identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White94.24%95.71%1.56%
Hispanic2.51%2.14%-14.74%
Two or More Races1.25%1.34%7.2%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%