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

Pires, 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 Pires surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pires in America

Pires is the 5986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pires surname appeared 5,746 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Pires.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pires 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 Pires

The surname Pires is of Portuguese origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the ancient Portuguese town of Pires, located in the northern region of the country. The name itself is derived from the Latin word "pirus," meaning "pear tree," suggesting that the first bearers of this surname may have lived near or owned land with pear orchards.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pires surname can be found in the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a Portuguese manuscript compiled in the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Pires, indicating its presence among the noble families of that era.

During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, many Portuguese explorers and navigators bearing the Pires surname played significant roles in the expansion of the Portuguese Empire. One notable figure was Pedro Álvares Cabral (ca. 1467-1520), a Portuguese navigator who is credited with the discovery of Brazil in 1500.

Another prominent individual with the Pires surname was João Rodrigues Pires (fl. 1520-1530), a Portuguese cartographer and explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his historic voyage around the world. His detailed accounts and maps were instrumental in advancing the knowledge of geography and navigation during that period.

In the realm of literature, the Pires surname is associated with Manuel Pires de Almeida (1628-1698), a Portuguese poet and playwright who was a prominent figure in the 17th-century literary circles of Lisbon. His works, including comedies and religious plays, were widely acclaimed and influential in shaping the literary landscape of his time.

Moving forward to the 19th century, José Joaquim Pires de Carvalho e Albuquerque (1802-1857) was a prominent Portuguese politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1853 to 1856. He played a crucial role in the country's political affairs during a turbulent period in its history.

Another notable figure is Francisco Joaquim Pires (1834-1912), a Portuguese architect and urban planner who designed several iconic buildings and infrastructure projects in Lisbon and other cities. His works, including the Rossio Train Station and the Campo Pequeno Bullring, are considered architectural landmarks and testaments to his expertise.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals associated with the Pires surname, highlighting its longstanding presence in Portuguese society and its contributions to various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pires

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

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

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

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