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

Pinela, 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 Pinela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pinela in America

Pinela is the 40976th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pinela surname appeared 532 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 Pinela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pinela 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 Pinela

The surname PINELA originated in Portugal during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese word "pinela," which refers to a small pine tree or pine grove. This suggests that the name likely originated in an area with significant pine tree vegetation, possibly in the northern or central regions of Portugal.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname PINELA can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries in various historical documents and records from Portugal. For example, a Pedro Pinela was mentioned in a land deed from the city of Coimbra, dated 1387.

During the Age of Discovery, the PINELA name spread to other regions as Portuguese explorers and settlers ventured to new territories. One notable figure was Diogo Pinela, a navigator and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

In the 16th century, the PINELA surname appeared in records from the Portuguese colonial possessions in Brazil. João Pinela, born in 1528, was one of the early settlers in the captaincy of Bahia.

Later, in the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the PINELA name was Father Tomás Pinela, a Jesuit priest and scholar who authored several works on theology and philosophy. He was born in Lisbon in 1702 and died in 1778.

Another historical figure was José Pinela, a Portuguese military officer and statesman who served as the Governor of Mozambique from 1781 to 1786. He played a significant role in the administration and development of the Portuguese colony during his tenure.

Throughout its history, the PINELA surname has also been associated with various noble families and landowners in Portugal, reflecting its long-standing presence in the country's social and cultural fabric.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pinela

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

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

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

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