2000
#4,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,537
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.42
Rare Last name
Pine
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a pine tree or in a pine forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,190 Americans carry the last name Pine. That puts it at #5,369 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,671 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pine 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 Pine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,671
Census rank
#5,369
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,270 bearers of the surname Pine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5369th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pine, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pine
The surname PINE is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "pin" or "pinn," which referred to a pine tree. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near or was associated with a notable pine tree or a pine forest.
During the Middle Ages, when surnames were emerging as a means of distinguishing individuals, it was common practice to assign surnames based on a person's geographic location, occupation, or physical characteristics. In the case of PINE, it likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone residing in an area abundant with pine trees or near a prominent pine tree.
The earliest recorded instances of the name PINE can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a person named William Pyne is listed. This early spelling variation, Pyne, highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1439, where a John Pyne is mentioned. This record provides further evidence of the name's presence in different regions of England.
As the centuries progressed, the surname PINE continued to be documented in various historical records and manuscripts. One notable figure bearing this name was Sir John Pyne (1575-1644), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Poole in Dorset.
Another prominent individual with the surname PINE was Robert Edge Pine (1730-1788), an English portrait painter who became a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts. His works included portraits of notable figures such as Samuel Johnson and David Garrick.
In the 19th century, Edward John Pyne (1805-1890) was a British military officer and writer who served in the Crimean War and authored several books on military history and tactics.
Additionally, the surname PINE has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Pine Green in Surrey and Pine Wood in Oxfordshire, further solidifying its connection to the pine tree and its geographical origins.
It is worth noting that while the surname PINE has been documented throughout history, it is not among the most common surnames in English-speaking countries today. However, its enduring presence serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of naming traditions and the enduring influence of nature on the development of surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pine
Among Census respondents with the surname Pine, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pine 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 Pine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 5,181
- Two or more races4.1% · 254
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 249
- Black or African American3.7% · 233
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 213
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 140
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pine
Pine 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
#5,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,592
+55 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 2.23
Rank movement Down 347 places
2020
#5,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,270
-322 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,937 | 6,537 | 2.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,284 | 6,592 | 2.23 | +55 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 347 places |
| 2020 | #5,369 | 6,270 | 2.10 | -322 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 85 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 Pine 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 | #5,284 | #5,369 | -1.6% |
| Count | 6,592 | 6,270 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.23 | 2.10 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pine bearers went from 6,592 to 6,270 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,284 to #5,369.
FAQ
Pine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pine?
Name Census estimates that about 7,190 living Americans carry the surname Pine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,671 residents.
How common is Pine?
Pine ranks #5,369 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,270 people with the surname Pine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,190), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pine.
Has Pine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pine went from 6,592 recorded bearers to 6,270. That is a decrease of 322 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,284 to #5,369.
What does the Census say about the background of Pine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pine, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Pine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (5,181 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Pine (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 Pine mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a pine tree or in a pine forest. 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 Pine (2.10 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 Americans have the surname Pine?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.