Pinkey
A feminine name of English origin meaning "pink", symbolizing delicacy and beauty.
Name Census estimates that about 104 living Americans carry the first name Pinkey. It is a predominantly female name (99.0% of registrations). The average person named Pinkey today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pinkey births was 1910 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pinkey. 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
- • The typical person named Pinkey is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Pinkeys were born before 1959.
People living today
104
~ 1 in 3,295,715 Americans
Peak year
1910
17 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1923 SSA rank
#4,142
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Pinkey
Pinkey leans heavily female at 99.0% of total registrations, but 6 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Pinkey as a male name
- Ranked #4,142 in 1923
- 6 male births in 1923
- Peak: 1923 (6 births)
Pinkey as a female name
- Ranked #7,532 in 1964
- 5 female births in 1964
- Peak: 1910 (17 births)
Popularity
Pinkey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pinkey from the 1880s through to the 1960s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 108 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pinkey 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 Pinkey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pinkeys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pinkey
The name Pinkey is believed to have originated from the English language, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is a diminutive form of the name Penelope, which was derived from the Greek word "penelops," meaning "duck" or "web-footed bird." The name Penelope was popularized by the character of the same name in Homer's Odyssey, who was the faithful wife of Odysseus.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pinkey can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, England, where a child named Pinkey Browne was baptized in 1587. This suggests that the name was in use among English families during the late 16th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Pinkey. In the 18th century, Pinkey Watts (1720-1792) was a renowned English actress who performed in various productions in London's theatres. Her talent and popularity earned her recognition in her time.
Another notable figure was Pinkey Walker (1889-1965), an African American baseball player who played in the Negro leagues during the early 20th century. He was a skilled outfielder and played for several teams, including the Kansas City Monarchs and the Chicago American Giants.
In the field of literature, Pinkey Strother (1904-1982) was an American author and poet known for her works that explored the African American experience. Her book "The Fawn," published in 1942, received critical acclaim and brought her national recognition.
Pinkey Thompson (1921-2003) was a renowned jazz pianist and composer from the United States. He was a prominent figure in the Kansas City jazz scene and collaborated with several notable musicians throughout his career.
Lastly, Pinkey Gordon (1937-2016) was a British actress and singer who gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared in various television shows and musicals, showcasing her talents on stage and screen.
While the name Pinkey may have fallen out of widespread use in modern times, its historical roots and the notable individuals who bore this name have left an indelible mark on various fields, from entertainment to sports and literature.
People
Pinkey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pinkey 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
Pinkey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pinkey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 104 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pinkey 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 3,295,715 US residents.
Is Pinkey a common name?
We classify Pinkey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 585 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pinkey most popular?
The single biggest year for Pinkey was 1910, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pinkey is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pinkey a female name?
Yes, 99.0% of people registered as Pinkey in the SSA data are female. 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.