Pinches
A Mexican Spanish slang term meaning "awesome" or "excellent".
Name Census estimates that about 93 living Americans carry the first name Pinches. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pinches today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pinches births was 2023 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pinches. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pinches. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
93
~ 1 in 3,685,531 Americans
Peak year
2023
14 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,122
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Pinches: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pinches from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 48 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pinches by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pinches during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pinches' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pinches
The given name Pinches is believed to have originated from the Spanish language, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in Spain. It is derived from the Spanish word "pinchar," which means "to prick" or "to puncture." This unusual name likely arose as a nickname or descriptive term for someone associated with a trade or activity involving sharp objects, such as a tailor, seamstress, or leatherworker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pinches can be found in the 14th century Spanish manuscript "Libro de los Caballos" (Book of Horses), which mentions a certain "Pinches de Sevilla," potentially a horse trainer or equestrian from the city of Seville. However, it is unclear whether this was a given name or a surname.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Pinches de Flores was a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied the famous conquistador Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico. He played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.
During the 17th century, a scholar and theologian named Pinches de la Cruz was a prominent figure in the Spanish Catholic Church. He authored several treatises on religious doctrine and ethics, which were widely circulated and studied in academic circles of the era.
In the 19th century, a Mexican painter and artist named Pinches Rivera gained recognition for his vibrant depictions of everyday life and cultural scenes in Mexico. His works are now held in various museums and private collections across Latin America.
Another individual named Pinches Martínez was a Spanish soldier and military leader who fought in the Carlist Wars, a series of civil wars in Spain during the 1830s and 1840s. Historical records indicate that he distinguished himself in several battles and was awarded various military honors.
While the name Pinches may have been more commonly used in the past, particularly in Spanish-speaking regions, it has become relatively rare in modern times. Its unique and somewhat peculiar origin and meaning have likely contributed to its declining popularity as a given name.
People
Pinches + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pinches as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pinches: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pinches?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 93 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pinches going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,685,531 US residents.
Is Pinches a common name?
We classify Pinches as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 94 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pinches most popular?
The single biggest year for Pinches was 2023, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pinches is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pinches a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pinches in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.