2000
#9,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,281
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Pinter
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a cellarman or wine steward.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,668 Americans carry the last name Pinter. That puts it at #9,687 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,444 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pinter 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 Pinter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,444
Census rank
#9,687
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,199 bearers of the surname Pinter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9687th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pinter
The surname Pinter has its origins in Hungary, where it can be traced back to the 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "pinter," which means "cooper" or a maker of barrels and casks. This occupation was crucial in a time when wine and beer production was an integral part of local economies.
In the early records, the name was often spelled as "Pyntyr" or "Pintér," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the 1364 tax records of the town of Kecskemét, where a certain "Johannes Pyntyr" was listed as a taxpayer.
By the 16th century, the Pinter surname had spread across various regions of Hungary, with concentrations in towns and villages known for their wineries or breweries. In the 1522 census of the village of Tállya, a winemaking center in the Tokaj region, several families with the surname Pintér were recorded.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the Pinter surname was Gergely Pinter, a respected cooper who lived in the town of Eger in the late 15th century. His craftsmanship was highly sought after, and he is mentioned in several historical documents from that era.
As the centuries passed, the Pinter name continued to be associated with the cooperage trade, but also branched out into other professions. In the 18th century, a Pál Pinter (1702-1778) gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder, responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the region of Debrecen.
Another notable figure was the writer and poet Sándor Pinter (1838-1921), who was born in the town of Makó and became a prominent figure in the Hungarian literary scene of the 19th century. His works often drew inspiration from the rich folklore and traditions of his homeland.
In the 20th century, the Pinter surname gained international recognition through the acclaimed British playwright Harold Pinter (1930-2008). Although his family had emigrated from Poland, his surname likely had its roots in the Hungarian Pinter lineage, reflecting the widespread diaspora of the name across Eastern and Central Europe.
Throughout its history, the Pinter surname has endured as a testament to the skilled craftspeople and artisans who contributed to the cultural fabric of Hungary and beyond, carrying the echoes of their trade through the generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pinter
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pinter 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 Pinter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,960
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 120
- Two or more races2.2% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 25
- Black or African American0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pinter
Pinter 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
#8,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,669
+388 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 220 places
2020
#9,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,199
-470 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 767 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,140 | 3,281 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,920 | 3,669 | 1.24 | +388 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 220 places |
| 2020 | #9,687 | 3,199 | 1.07 | -470 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 767 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 Pinter 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 | #8,920 | #9,687 | -8.6% |
| Count | 3,669 | 3,199 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.07 | -13.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pinter bearers went from 3,669 to 3,199 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 767 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,920 to #9,687.
FAQ
Pinter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pinter?
Name Census estimates that about 3,668 living Americans carry the surname Pinter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,444 residents.
How common is Pinter?
Pinter ranks #9,687 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,199 people with the surname Pinter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,668), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Pinter.
Has Pinter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pinter went from 3,669 recorded bearers to 3,199. That is a decrease of 470 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,920 to #9,687.
What does the Census say about the background of Pinter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Pinter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,960 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pinter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Pinter (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 Pinter mean?
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a cellarman or wine steward. 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 Pinter (1.07 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 Americans have the surname Pinter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.