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

Pinkston, 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 Pinkston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pinkston in America

Pinkston is the 4292nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pinkston surname appeared 8,291 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Pinkston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pinkston 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 Pinkston

The surname Pinkston originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "pinc," meaning "hill" or "ridge," and the suffix "-tun" meaning "farm" or "enclosure." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a Richard de Pinkeston is mentioned. The spelling variations found in historical records include Pinkeston, Pynkeston, and Pynkyston.

In the 13th century, the Pinkston family held land in the village of Pinxton, near Alfreton in Derbyshire. This place name is believed to be related to the surname, with the "Pinc" element referring to the same Old English word for a hill or ridge.

One notable figure bearing the Pinkston surname was Sir John Pinkston (c. 1480 - 1557), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1536.

Another early record of the name is found in the Calendar of Patent Rolls from 1388, which mentions a Thomas Pynkeston, a cleric from the Diocese of York.

In the 16th century, the Pinkstons were also established in Scotland, with records showing a William Pinkston (c. 1520 - 1585), a landowner in Ayrshire.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain Robert Pinkston (c. 1610 - 1678) served as a Royalist officer under King Charles I.

Another notable figure was Sir Edward Pinkston (1658 - 1719), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Sandwich in Kent during the reign of Queen Anne.

These examples illustrate the long history and widespread distribution of the Pinkston surname across England and Scotland, with its origins rooted in the Old English language and references to geographical features.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pinkston

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

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

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

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