2000
#26,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 863
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Very Rare Last name
Pirie
A surname of Scottish origin, possibly derived from a town or region in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 991 Americans carry the last name Pirie. That puts it at #29,195 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 345,867 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pirie 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pirie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
991
1 in 345,867
Census rank
#29,195
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
864
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 864 bearers of the surname Pirie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29195th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirie, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pirie
The surname Pirie originated in Scotland, emerging in the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Scots Gaelic word "pireag," meaning a small stream or rivulet. This suggests that the name may have initially designated someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various Scottish records and charters from the 14th and 15th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1455, with a mention of "John Piry" from Forfarshire.
In the 16th century, the name Pirie was particularly prevalent in the northeastern regions of Scotland, particularly in Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. This is evidenced by entries in the Parish Registers and local records of the time.
One notable figure bearing this surname was Alexander Pirie (1736-1804), a Scottish businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Pirie Printing Press in Aberdeen. This press played a significant role in the dissemination of literature and knowledge during the Scottish Enlightenment.
Another prominent individual was Robert Pirie (1857-1934), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as the Premier of New South Wales from 1921 to 1923. He played a crucial role in the development of Australia's infrastructure and industry during the early 20th century.
George Pirie (1799-1870) was a Scottish evangelist and author who was instrumental in the revival movements of the 19th century. His writings and sermons had a significant impact on the religious landscape of Scotland during that period.
In the 17th century, the Pirie surname was also found in various records from the neighboring counties of Angus and Perthshire, suggesting that the name had spread across eastern Scotland.
The place name "Pirie" itself can be found in several locations across Scotland, such as Piryhill in Aberdeenshire and Piryhill in Kincardineshire. These place names likely derived from the surname, indicating the presence of families bearing this name in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pirie
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirie, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pirie 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 Pirie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 800
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 32
- Two or more races3.0% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pirie
Pirie 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
#27,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 867
+4 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,166 places
2020
#29,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 864
-3 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,566 | 863 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,732 | 867 | 0.29 | +4 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 1,166 places |
| 2020 | #29,195 | 864 | 0.29 | -3 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 1,463 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 Pirie 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 | #27,732 | #29,195 | -5.3% |
| Count | 867 | 864 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.29 | -0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pirie bearers went from 867 to 864 (-0.3% change). The surname moved down 1,463 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,732 to #29,195.
FAQ
Pirie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pirie?
Name Census estimates that about 991 living Americans carry the surname Pirie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 345,867 residents.
How common is Pirie?
Pirie ranks #29,195 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 864 people with the surname Pirie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (991), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pirie.
Has Pirie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pirie went from 867 recorded bearers to 864. That is a decrease of 3 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,732 to #29,195.
What does the Census say about the background of Pirie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirie, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Pirie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (800 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pirie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Pirie (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 Pirie mean?
A surname of Scottish origin, possibly derived from a town or region in Scotland. 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 Pirie (0.29 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 common is the surname Pirie?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Pirie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.