Pillar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The French name Pillar has a history dating as far back as the Middle Ages. The name is thought to derive from the Old French word "pelon," which referred to the spiky outer shell of a chestnut; and from this, it has been suggested that the name was a nickname for a quick-tempered or unpleasant person. The history of this surname is intrinsically entwined with that of the region of Normandy, where the earliest records of the Pillar family were found.

Early Origins of the Pillar family

The surname Pillar was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy. The name can also be traced to Brittany, where individuals of the Pillet family were lords of Hérconnais, such as Pierre, who was given noble status in 1435, and was father of Jean, secretary of the duke. Germain Pilon, who was born in 1515 and died in Paris, was a sculptor.

Jean-Baptiste Pilon, born around 1653, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie (née Roussell), arrived in New France in the 17th century. After settling in Canada he married Elizabeth Bertaut, daughter of Jacques and Gillette (née Bonne), at Repentigny, Quebec on 29th February 1688. They had nine children together, five daughters and four sons. 1

Early History of the Pillar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pillar research. The years 1771, 1772, 1792 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Pillar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pillar Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Pillar is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Pilon, Pile, Pilet, Pillet, Pilot, Pillot, Pillon, Pilier, Pillier, Dupillier, Pilaire, Pilard, Pillard, Pilleux and many more.

Early Notables of the Pillar family

Notable amongst the family in this period was René-Martin Pillet, born in 1771, who was a general in Tours at the time of the Revolution; Claude-Marie Pillet, born in 1771, was a literary hack in Chambéry. He studied law and became a lawyer, but this trade never became his passion and instead he turned to mathematics...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pillar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pillar Ranking

In the United States, the name Pillar is the 15,084^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Pillar migration to the United States +

France was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Pillar has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Pillar were

Pillar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Pillar, aged 25, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1775 3

Pillar migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pillar Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Michael Pillar U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 4

Pillar migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pillar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Pillar, aged 25, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" 5
John Pillar, aged 25, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hydaspes" in 1851 5
Richard Pillar, aged 37, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Coromandel" 6

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HYDASPES 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hydaspes.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 9th January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Coromandel 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/coromandel1855.shtml