2000
#13,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Pillsbury
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the fortress of a man called Pil or Pill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,260 Americans carry the last name Pillsbury. That puts it at #14,538 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pillsbury surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,661
Census rank
#14,538
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,971 bearers of the surname Pillsbury in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14538th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pillsbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pillsbury
The surname Pillsbury is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "pylle" meaning a small stream or creek, and "burg" meaning a dwelling or fortified town. It is believed to have originated in the county of Lincolnshire, England, during the medieval period.
The name Pillsbury first appeared in historical records in the late 13th century, with references to individuals bearing the name in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a census-like survey conducted in 1273-1274. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Robert de Pyllesburye, who resided in the village of Pilsbury, near the town of Louth.
In the 14th century, the name Pillsbury was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire, which were tax records compiled between 1327 and 1332. These records mention several individuals with variations of the name, such as John de Pillesbury and William de Pyllesbury.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Pillsbury was associated with various prominent figures in English history. One notable individual was Sir William Pillsbury (1535-1603), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Lincolnshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Grantham in 1584 and 1586.
Another influential figure was John Pillsbury (1563-1625), a merchant and alderman in the city of London. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1612.
In the 18th century, the Pillsbury family established itself in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Joshua Pillsbury (1703-1786), who immigrated from England to Massachusetts in the 1720s. He settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, and his descendants played a significant role in the development of the region.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Pillsbury was Charles Alfred Pillsbury (1842-1899), an American businessman and co-founder of the Pillsbury Company, one of the largest flour milling companies in the United States. He was born in Warner, New Hampshire, and was instrumental in establishing the company's headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Another notable figure was John Sargent Pillsbury (1828-1901), a businessman, politician, and benefactor from Minnesota. He served as the eighth Governor of Minnesota from 1876 to 1882 and was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Minnesota.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pillsbury
Among Census respondents with the surname Pillsbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pillsbury bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pillsbury surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 1,860
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 25
- Two or more races1.2% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pillsbury
Pillsbury appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,174
+48 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 712 places
2020
#14,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,971
-203 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 651 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,175 | 2,126 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,887 | 2,174 | 0.74 | +48 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 712 places |
| 2020 | #14,538 | 1,971 | 0.66 | -203 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 651 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pillsbury surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,887 | #14,538 | -4.7% |
| Count | 2,174 | 1,971 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.66 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pillsbury bearers went from 2,174 to 1,971 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 651 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,887 to #14,538.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pillsbury
FAQ
Pillsbury surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pillsbury?
Name Census estimates that about 2,260 living Americans carry the surname Pillsbury. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,661 residents.
How common is Pillsbury?
Pillsbury ranks #14,538 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,971 people with the surname Pillsbury. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pillsbury.
Has Pillsbury become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pillsbury went from 2,174 recorded bearers to 1,971. That is a decrease of 203 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,887 to #14,538.
What does the Census say about the background of Pillsbury?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pillsbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pillsbury in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (1,860 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pillsbury appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (2.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pillsbury (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pillsbury mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the fortress of a man called Pil or Pill." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pillsbury (0.66 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Pillsbury?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.