2000
#8,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,705
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Pinkham
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Pink's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,906 Americans carry the last name Pinkham. That puts it at #9,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pinkham 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 Pinkham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,751
Census rank
#9,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,406 bearers of the surname Pinkham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinkham, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pinkham
The surname Pinkham has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "pinc" meaning "hill" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village". The name likely referred to a settlement or homestead located on a hill or elevated ground.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pinkham can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The document mentions a place called "Pyncham" in the county of Wiltshire, which is believed to be the origin of the surname.
In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Pyncham, who was a landowner in the village of Pyncham, now known as Pinkham near Sherborne, Dorset. This provides evidence of the surname's use and its connection to the place name.
Moving forward to the 16th century, there are records of a William Pinkham, born in 1547, who was a merchant and ship owner in the town of Sandwich, Kent. His involvement in maritime trade suggests that the name had spread beyond its original location.
Another notable figure is Richard Pinkham, born in 1635, who was a Puritan minister and one of the early settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Hingham, Massachusetts, and his descendants continued to use the surname in the New World.
In the 18th century, Sir Robert Pinkham, born in 1712, was a prominent naval officer and served as the Governor of Newfoundland from 1776 to 1783. His contribution to the British Empire during this period highlights the surname's presence in positions of authority and influence.
Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname have been observed, including Pyncham, Pynkham, and Pinkum, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pinkham
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinkham, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pinkham 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 Pinkham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 3,083
- Two or more races3.9% · 132
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pinkham
Pinkham 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
#8,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,706
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 612 places
2020
#9,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,406
-300 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 356 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,229 | 3,705 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,841 | 3,706 | 1.26 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 612 places |
| 2020 | #9,197 | 3,406 | 1.14 | -300 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 356 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 Pinkham 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 | #8,841 | #9,197 | -4.0% |
| Count | 3,706 | 3,406 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.14 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pinkham bearers went from 3,706 to 3,406 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 356 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,841 to #9,197.
FAQ
Pinkham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pinkham?
Name Census estimates that about 3,906 living Americans carry the surname Pinkham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,751 residents.
How common is Pinkham?
Pinkham ranks #9,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,406 people with the surname Pinkham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pinkham.
Has Pinkham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pinkham went from 3,706 recorded bearers to 3,406. That is a decrease of 300 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,841 to #9,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Pinkham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinkham, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Pinkham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (3,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pinkham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Pinkham (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 Pinkham mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Pink's people." 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 Pinkham (1.14 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 Pinkham?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.