2000
#16,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,646
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Pinnock
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a pinnock, a small hill or peak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,928 Americans carry the last name Pinnock. That puts it at #11,738 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pinnock 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 Pinnock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,061
Census rank
#11,738
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,553 bearers of the surname Pinnock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11738th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinnock, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pinnock
The surname Pinnock originates from England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "pin" meaning "hill" and "hoc" meaning "hook" or "point," suggesting a descriptive name for someone who lived on or near a hooked or pointed hill.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Pynok is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1275, with the spelling "Pynock."
In the 14th century, the name was recorded as "Pynok" in the Pipe Rolls of Essex in 1344. During this period, the name was primarily concentrated in the southern counties of England, particularly in Sussex, Surrey, and Kent.
One notable person with this surname was Sir Robert Pinnock (c.1562-1638), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Arundel in 1601. Another prominent figure was John Pinnock (1786-1862), an English writer and publisher known for his educational works, including "Pinnock's Catechisms" and "Pinnock's Goldsmith's Histories."
In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records, such as the marriage of William Pinnock and Jane Steere in Portslade, Sussex, in 1631. During this time, the name also began to spread to other parts of England, including London and the Midlands.
Another notable figure was William Pinnock (1783-1832), an English engraver and author of several educational works, including "Pinnock's Improved Edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of England" and "Pinnock's Improved Edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome."
In the 19th century, the surname gained further prominence with individuals like William Henry Pinnock (1801-1863), an English architect and surveyor, and William Pinnock (1828-1887), a British journalist and author.
Throughout its history, the surname Pinnock has been associated with various place names, such as Pinnock Hill in Worcestershire and Pinnock Bridge in Kent, further reinforcing its geographical roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pinnock
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinnock, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pinnock 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 Pinnock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.6% · 2,058
- White10.5% · 269
- Two or more races4.5% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pinnock
Pinnock 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
#13,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,318
+672 bearers (+40.8%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 2,961 places
2020
#11,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,553
+235 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 1,448 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,147 | 1,646 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,186 | 2,318 | 0.79 | +672 bearers (+40.8%) | Up 2,961 places |
| 2020 | #11,738 | 2,553 | 0.85 | +235 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 1,448 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 Pinnock 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 | #13,186 | #11,738 | 11.0% |
| Count | 2,318 | 2,553 | 10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.85 | 8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pinnock bearers went from 2,318 to 2,553 (+10.1% change). The surname moved up 1,448 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,186 to #11,738.
FAQ
Pinnock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pinnock?
Name Census estimates that about 2,928 living Americans carry the surname Pinnock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,061 residents.
How common is Pinnock?
Pinnock ranks #11,738 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,553 people with the surname Pinnock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,928), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Pinnock.
Has Pinnock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pinnock went from 2,318 recorded bearers to 2,553. That is an increase of 235 (+10.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,186 to #11,738.
What does the Census say about the background of Pinnock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinnock, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pinnock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (2,058 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pinnock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.6%), White (10.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Pinnock (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 Pinnock mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a pinnock, a small hill or peak. 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 Pinnock (0.85 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 have the surname Pinnock?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.