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

Pinheiro, 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 Pinheiro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pinheiro in America

Pinheiro is the 12652nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pinheiro surname appeared 2,445 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pinheiro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pinheiro 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 Pinheiro

The surname Pinheiro originates from Portugal, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "pinheiro," which means "pine tree." The name likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a pine grove or forest.

Pinheiro is a common surname in Portugal and Brazil, as well as in regions where there were significant Portuguese settlements, such as the Azores, Madeira, and parts of Africa and Asia. In the 16th and 17th centuries, as Portuguese explorers and colonists ventured to different parts of the world, the surname spread to these areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pinheiro can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a 14th-century Portuguese manuscript that chronicles the genealogies of noble families. The manuscript mentions individuals with the surname Pinheiro, indicating its presence in Portugal during that time period.

In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent Portuguese navigator named Duarte Pacheco Pinheiro, who was born around 1470 and died in 1533. He authored the influential work "Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis," which provided detailed descriptions of the Atlantic Ocean and the coastal regions of Africa, the Americas, and Asia.

Another notable figure with the surname Pinheiro was Tomé Pinheiro da Veiga (1566-1628), a Portuguese writer and diplomat who served as the secretary of the Portuguese embassy in Spain. His writings, particularly his letters and reports, provide valuable insights into the political and cultural dynamics of the time.

In the 18th century, Diogo Pinheiro Cardoso (1718-1797) was a Portuguese architect and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of Lisbon's urban landscape, including the design of the Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) after the devastating earthquake of 1755.

The surname Pinheiro has also been associated with various places and locations throughout Portugal. For example, there is a town called Pinheiro in the district of Chamusca, and a parish called Pinheiro da Bemposta in the municipality of Oliveira de Azeméis.

Overall, the surname Pinheiro has a rich history rooted in Portugal, reflecting the country's language, culture, and exploration. Its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, and it has been carried by notable figures across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pinheiro

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

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

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

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