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Pilling Family History

Pilling Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire): habitational name from a place so called which takes its name from the River Pilling. The etymology of the river name is uncertain but is perhaps associated with Old English pyll ‘tidal creek’. English (Lancashire): topographic name for someone who lived by a creek or stream (Old English pyll ‘tidal creek’) or by a stake, a derivative of Pill + the Middle English suffix -ing.

English (Lancashire): perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Piling, a pet form of Old English Pīl (from pīl ‘stake’ perhaps a short form of an Old English name such as Pīlheard) + the Old English hypocoristic suffix -ing.

German: habitational name from a place so named near Straubing, Bavaria. Compare Billing.

German: patronymic from Pille.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Pilling family from?

You can see how Pilling families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pilling family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pilling families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,524 Pilling families living in Lancashire. This was about 74% of all the recorded Pilling's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Pilling families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pilling surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Pilling ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cotton Weaver and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pilling. 10% of Pilling men worked as a Cotton Weaver and 67% of Pilling women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pilling were Motor Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Pilling | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Cotton Weaver
    10%
  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Motor Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Pilling family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 52,000 census records available for the last name Pilling. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pilling census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pilling

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Pilling. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Pilling immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Pilling. For the veterans among your Pilling ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pilling military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pilling family history

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What is the average Pilling lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Pilling life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Pilling in 1952 was 50, and 74 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Pilling ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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