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

Pinchback, 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 Pinchback surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pinchback in America

Pinchback is the 52169th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pinchback surname appeared 398 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 Pinchback.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pinchback 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 Pinchback

The surname Pinchback originates from England, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pyncan," meaning "to pinch," and "bæc," signifying "back." This combination suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive physical trait, such as a curved or hunched back.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a tax record compiled in 1273, which mentions a certain John Pinchebac. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the 13th century in the English county of Oxfordshire.

The Pinchback surname also finds mention in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Thomas Pynchebak is listed as a taxpayer. This record demonstrates the variant spelling of the name during that era, highlighting the fluidity of surname spellings in medieval times.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the Parish Registers of Croydon, Surrey, where a marriage between Robert Pinchbacke and Agnes Crowcher is recorded in 1581. This entry not only showcases another spelling variation but also provides insight into the geographic spread of the surname across different regions of England.

One notable figure bearing the Pinchback surname was Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback (1837-1921), an American politician who served as the 24th Governor of Louisiana from 1872 to 1873. Born into a family of mixed racial heritage, he became the first person of African American descent to serve as a state governor in the United States.

Another individual of historical significance was Robert Pinchback (1710-1776), an English architect and surveyor who was actively involved in the redesign and reconstruction of several churches in the city of Bristol during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, John Pinchback (1831-1902), a British-born merchant and entrepreneur, made significant contributions to the development of the shipping industry in South Australia.

The Pinchback surname has also been associated with places, such as Pinchbeck, a village in Lincolnshire, England. The village's name, which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pyncan" and "bæc," similar to the surname's origin.

While the Pinchback surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved over centuries, becoming a distinct family name with a rich history and notable bearers across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pinchback

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

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

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

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