Find out how popular the last name Pienaar is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pienaar.

Pienaar, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pienaar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pienaar in America

Pienaar is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pienaar surname appeared 124 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pienaar.

The history of the last name Pienaar

The surname Pienaar has its origins in South Africa, where it first emerged in the 17th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "pienaar," which means "pine seller" or "pine cone seller." The name likely originated from a nickname given to an individual who worked in the pine trade or lived near a pine forest.

Historically, the Pienaar surname was concentrated in the Western Cape region of South Africa, particularly in areas with Dutch settlements. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 1600s and early 1700s, appearing in various Dutch colonial records and documents.

One notable historical reference to the Pienaar surname can be found in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which governed the Cape Colony during the 17th and 18th centuries. Several individuals with the Pienaar surname are mentioned in these records, indicating their presence in the colony.

The Pienaar family played a significant role in the early exploration and settlement of the South African interior. Abraham Pienaar (1771-1852) was a prominent Voortrekker leader who led a group of settlers known as the Pienaar Trek from the Cape Colony to the region that would later become the Orange Free State.

Another notable figure with the Pienaar surname was Jacobus Pienaar (1886-1942), a South African rugby union player who represented the national team and played in the first-ever rugby test match between South Africa and the British Isles in 1891.

In the realm of politics, Nicolaas Pienaar (1902-1991) was a prominent figure in the National Party of South Africa and served as the Minister of Bantu Administration and Development from 1958 to 1961.

The Pienaar surname has also been associated with various place names in South Africa, such as Pienaarsrivier (Pienaar's River) and Pienaarspoort (Pienaar's Pass), reflecting the historical significance of this family name in the country's history and geography.

While the surname Pienaar is primarily concentrated in South Africa, it has also been recorded in other parts of the world, likely as a result of emigration and migration. However, its origins and early historical significance are deeply rooted in the Dutch colonial era of South Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pienaar

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pienaar.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pienaar was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pienaar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pienaar, please contact us.

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