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

Pimentel, 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 Pimentel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pimentel in America

Pimentel is the 1671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pimentel surname appeared 21,579 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Pimentel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pimentel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pimentel

The surname Pimentel originates from Portugal, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "pimenta," meaning "pepper," and is thought to have been originally an occupational name for someone who grew, sold, or traded in pepper or other spices.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pimentel name can be found in the medieval Portuguese chronicles, where a nobleman named Vasco Martins Pimentel is mentioned as a participant in the conquest of Algarve from the Moors in the 13th century.

During the Age of Exploration, the Pimentel name gained prominence as several members of the family played significant roles in the Portuguese maritime expeditions. João Pimentel, born in 1477, was a navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his famous voyage to India in 1498.

In the 16th century, the Pimentel family established themselves as one of the leading noble houses in Portugal. Álvaro Pimentel, born in 1516, was a prominent military commander who served in the Portuguese campaigns in North Africa and India.

As the Portuguese Empire expanded, the Pimentel name spread to various colonies and territories. In Brazil, one of the earliest references to the name can be found in the 17th century, with the arrival of Portuguese settlers bearing the Pimentel surname.

Beyond Portugal and its colonies, the Pimentel name also found its way to other parts of the world, often through migration and intermarriage. In Spain, for example, the Pimentel family established a noble lineage, with figures such as Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, born in 1441, serving as a diplomat and military leader.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Pimentel surname. Francisco Pimentel, born in 1592, was a Spanish playwright and poet during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Tomás Pimentel, born in 1766, was a Mexican military leader who played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pimentel

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

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 Pimentel 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pimentel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Pimentel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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