2000
#11,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,515
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Pentecost
A surname derived from the Christian feast day celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,619 Americans carry the last name Pentecost. That puts it at #12,879 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,872 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pentecost 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 Pentecost with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,872
Census rank
#12,879
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,284 bearers of the surname Pentecost in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12879th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pentecost, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pentecost
The surname Pentecost is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "Pentecost," which means "Whitsunday" or the Christian festival of Pentecost. This name was likely given to someone born or baptized during the Pentecost season, or perhaps someone who lived near a church dedicated to the Holy Ghost or Pentecost.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where a William Pentecost is mentioned. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, with a reference to a John Pentecost.
In the 14th century, the Pentecost family was well-established in the county of Worcestershire, with several members holding prominent positions in the local community. For instance, Richard Pentecost served as the Mayor of Worcester in 1367.
The Pentecost name is also linked to several place names across England, such as Pentecost Farm in Buckinghamshire and Pentecost Lane in Derbyshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Pentecost surname who once owned or resided in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Pentecost include:
1. Dorothy Pentecost (1698-1778), an English writer and educator from Nottinghamshire.
2. Joseph Pentecost (1715-1773), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War.
3. Thomas Pentecost (1778-1856), a British architect responsible for designing several churches in London and Kent.
4. Charles Pentecost (1824-1897), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
5. John Pentecost (1877-1951), an American evangelist and author who founded the Pentecostal Holiness Church.
While the name Pentecost is not as common today as it once was, its historical significance and connection to the Christian festival of Pentecost make it a unique and intriguing surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pentecost
Among Census respondents with the surname Pentecost, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pentecost 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 Pentecost surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 1,918
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 134
- Black or African American4.8% · 109
- Two or more races3.8% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pentecost
Pentecost 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
#12,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,489
-26 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 989 places
2020
#12,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,284
-205 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 406 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,484 | 2,515 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,473 | 2,489 | 0.84 | -26 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 989 places |
| 2020 | #12,879 | 2,284 | 0.76 | -205 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 406 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 Pentecost 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 | #12,473 | #12,879 | -3.3% |
| Count | 2,489 | 2,284 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.76 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pentecost bearers went from 2,489 to 2,284 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 406 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,473 to #12,879.
FAQ
Pentecost surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pentecost?
Name Census estimates that about 2,619 living Americans carry the surname Pentecost. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,872 residents.
How common is Pentecost?
Pentecost ranks #12,879 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,284 people with the surname Pentecost. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,619), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pentecost.
Has Pentecost become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pentecost went from 2,489 recorded bearers to 2,284. That is a decrease of 205 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,473 to #12,879.
What does the Census say about the background of Pentecost?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pentecost, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (4.8%). 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 Pentecost in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (1,918 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pentecost appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Hispanic (5.9%), Black (4.8%). 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 Pentecost (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 Pentecost mean?
A surname derived from the Christian feast day celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. 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 Pentecost (0.76 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 many people have the last name Pentecost?
You can see how many people are called Pentecost on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.