2000
#4,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,212
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.67
Rare Last name
Pinson
Derived from a place name meaning "pine grove" in French, likely referring to someone who lived near pines.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,914 Americans carry the last name Pinson. That puts it at #4,948 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,310 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pinson 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 Pinson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.9K
1 in 43,310
Census rank
#4,948
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,901 bearers of the surname Pinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4948th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pinson
The surname Pinson has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "pinçon," meaning "finch" or "small bird." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone with a connection to these birds, perhaps a bird catcher or someone with bird-like characteristics.
The earliest recorded instances of the Pinson surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region. In these regions, the name was often associated with specific places or localities, leading to variations such as Pinson de Beaumont or Pinson de Rouen.
One notable early reference to the Pinson name can be found in the Rolls of the Exchequer of Normandy, a medieval record of financial transactions and accounts, which mentions a "Robertus Pinson" in the year 1180. This indicates that the name was already established in Normandy by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure bearing the Pinson surname was Nicolas Pinson, a French poet and musician who served as a court poet to Louis IX, the King of France, in the mid-1200s.
Another historical figure of note was Jean Pinson, a French theologian and scholar who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his contributions to the study of canon law and served as the rector of the University of Paris in 1471.
During the Renaissance period, the Pinson family produced several notable artists and intellectuals. One such figure was Richard Pinson, a French painter and engraver active in the early 16th century, whose works were highly regarded in his time.
In the realm of literature, the surname Pinson is associated with Jacques Pinson, a French poet and playwright born in 1550. He was known for his satirical works and contributed to the development of French theater during the late Renaissance.
Throughout the centuries, the Pinson surname has spread beyond France to other parts of Europe and the world, carried by family lines and migration patterns. While the name may have evolved and taken on new meanings in different cultures, its origins remain rooted in the French countryside and the symbolic connection to small birds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pinson 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 Pinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.7% · 5,016
- Black or African American17.0% · 1,173
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 353
- Two or more races3.9% · 266
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pinson
Pinson 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
#4,800
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,362
+150 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 277 places
2020
#4,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,901
-461 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,523 | 7,212 | 2.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,800 | 7,362 | 2.50 | +150 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 277 places |
| 2020 | #4,948 | 6,901 | 2.31 | -461 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 148 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 Pinson 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 | #4,800 | #4,948 | -3.1% |
| Count | 7,362 | 6,901 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.50 | 2.31 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pinson bearers went from 7,362 to 6,901 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 148 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,800 to #4,948.
FAQ
Pinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pinson?
Name Census estimates that about 7,914 living Americans carry the surname Pinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,310 residents.
How common is Pinson?
Pinson ranks #4,948 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,901 people with the surname Pinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,914), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pinson.
Has Pinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pinson went from 7,362 recorded bearers to 6,901. That is a decrease of 461 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,800 to #4,948.
What does the Census say about the background of Pinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Pinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.7% (5,016 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.7%), Black (17.0%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Pinson (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 Pinson mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "pine grove" in French, likely referring to someone who lived near pines. 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 Pinson (2.31 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 are called Pinson?
Find out how common the surname Pinson is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.