2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pinches
An archaic term for wrinkles or pucker, likely referring to someone's facial features or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Pinches. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pinches 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 Pinches with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Pinches in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinches, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pinches
The surname Pinches originated in England, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be an occupational name derived from the Old French word "pincher," which means "to pinch or nip." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who performed a task involving pinching or nipping, such as a cloth worker or a baker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pinches surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1195, where it appears as "Richard Pinches." This indicates that the name was already in use during the late 12th century in the southwestern region of England.
In the 13th century, the Pinches surname appears in various medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a "William Pinches." This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of the country by this time.
During the 14th century, the Pinches surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, where a "John Pinches" is recorded. This document provides evidence of the name's presence in the West Midlands region of England.
One notable figure with the Pinches surname was Sir Thomas Pinches (1548-1617), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the early 17th century. Another prominent individual was John Pinches (1784-1855), a British engraver and medalist known for his work on coins and medals during the reign of King George III.
In the 18th century, the Pinches surname was associated with the village of Pinchbeck in Lincolnshire, which may have influenced the spelling variation "Pinchbeck." This connection is evidenced by the birth of Christopher Pinchbeck (1670-1732), a renowned English clockmaker and inventor of the eponymous Pinchbeck alloy.
Another noteworthy individual was Edward Pinches (1835-1919), a British lawyer and antiquarian who served as the chief engraver at the British Museum. He was renowned for his expertise in cuneiform inscriptions and made significant contributions to the study of ancient Mesopotamian languages.
The Pinches surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Pinches Green in Gloucestershire and Pinches Farm in Worcestershire, further solidifying its historical roots in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pinches
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinches, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pinches 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 Pinches surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 92
- Two or more races11.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pinches
Pinches 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,731 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,754 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 12,731 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 13,754 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 Pinches 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 | #160,975 | #147,221 | 8.5% |
| Count | 100 | 113 | 13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pinches bearers went from 100 to 113 (+13.0% change). The surname moved up 13,754 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #147,221.
FAQ
Pinches surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pinches?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Pinches. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Pinches?
Pinches ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Pinches. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pinches.
Has Pinches become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pinches went from 100 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 13 (+13.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Pinches?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinches, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%). 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 Pinches in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pinches appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Two or More Races (11.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.3%). 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 Pinches (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 Pinches mean?
An archaic term for wrinkles or pucker, likely referring to someone's facial features or occupation. 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 Pinches (0.04 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 share the surname Pinches?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.