2000
#806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,999
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.46
Uncommon Last name
Pineda
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Pineda in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 72,745 Americans carry the last name Pineda. That puts it at #518 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 21.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pineda 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 Pineda with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
73K
1 in 4,712
Census rank
#518
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
63K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 63,437 bearers of the surname Pineda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 21.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 518th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pineda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and White (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pineda
The surname Pineda originated in Spain and has its roots dating back to the 8th century. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "pinar," which means a pine grove or forest. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in a pine forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pineda can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century medieval manuscript that served as a guide for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. The document mentions a place called "Villa Pineda," which is believed to be the origin of the surname.
During the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, the name Pineda gained prominence. Several individuals with this surname played significant roles in the military campaigns and subsequent repopulation efforts.
One notable figure from this period was Fernán Pérez de Pineda, a 13th-century nobleman and military commander who fought alongside King Ferdinand III of Castile. Pérez de Pineda was awarded lands and titles for his contributions to the Reconquista.
In the 15th century, the surname Pineda appeared in the records of the Spanish Inquisition. One such instance was the trial of Juan de Pineda, a converso (a converted Jew) who was accused of secretly practicing Judaism. His case shed light on the persecution faced by conversos during that period.
The name Pineda has also been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. Pedro de Pineda, a 16th-century Spanish explorer, led expeditions to the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of present-day Texas. His contributions to early Spanish exploration and cartography were significant.
Another notable figure was Juan de Pineda Salazar, a 17th-century Spanish theologian and author. His work "Monarquía Eclesiástica" was a comprehensive study of the Catholic Church and its history.
In the realm of literature, Nicolás Fernández de Moratín, a 18th-century Spanish playwright and poet, was also known by the surname Pineda. His comedies and satirical works were influential during the Age of Enlightenment in Spain.
The surname Pineda has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, such as Pineda de Mar, a coastal town in Catalonia, and Pineda de la Sierra, a municipality in the province of Burgos.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pineda
Among Census respondents with the surname Pineda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and White (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pineda 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 Pineda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.6% · 56,831
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.7% · 3,633
- White3.6% · 2,311
- Two or more races0.5% · 319
- Black or African American0.4% · 233
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 110
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pineda
Pineda 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
#553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 60,820
+21,821 bearers (+56.0%)
Per 100,000 20.62
Rank movement Up 253 places
2020
#518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 63,437
+2,617 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 21.22
Rank movement Up 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #806 | 38,999 | 14.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #553 | 60,820 | 20.62 | +21,821 bearers (+56.0%) | Up 253 places |
| 2020 | #518 | 63,437 | 21.22 | +2,617 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 35 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 Pineda 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 | #553 | #518 | 6.3% |
| Count | 60,820 | 63,437 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 20.62 | 21.22 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pineda bearers went from 60,820 to 63,437 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #553 to #518.
FAQ
Pineda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pineda?
Name Census estimates that about 72,745 living Americans carry the surname Pineda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,712 residents.
How common is Pineda?
Pineda ranks #518 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 21.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 21 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 63,437 people with the surname Pineda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (72,745), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 21.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 21.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 21 of them to have the surname Pineda.
Has Pineda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pineda went from 60,820 recorded bearers to 63,437. That is an increase of 2,617 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #553 to #518.
What does the Census say about the background of Pineda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pineda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and White (3.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pineda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (56,831 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pineda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%), White (3.6%). 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 Pineda (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 Pineda mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Pineda in Spain. 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 Pineda (21.22 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 common is the surname Pineda?
You can see how many people have the surname Pineda on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.