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

Pointer, 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 Pointer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pointer in America

Pointer is the 4752nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pointer surname appeared 7,453 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 Pointer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pointer 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 Pointer

The surname Pointer is of English origin, and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is an occupational name given to someone who worked as a pointer, someone who repaired or maintained hunting hounds' tails by docking or trimming them. The name is derived from the Old English word "punta", meaning to point or dock.

Early examples of the surname can be found in various records from the 13th century onwards. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Robert le Poynter, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1207. Another early appearance is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1230, where a William Poynter is listed.

The surname is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, although the spelling is slightly different. The entry "Alwinus Pointor" is recorded as a landholder in Nottinghamshire.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Poynter, Poyntour, Poyntere, and Pointer. Some of these variations can be found in historical records from different regions of England.

One notable bearer of the Pointer surname was John Pointer (c. 1520-1584), an English Protestant reformer and author who wrote several religious works during the Reformation. Another was Richard Pointer (c. 1600-1667), an English MP who represented Ipswich in the Long Parliament.

In the 18th century, John Pointer (1737-1801) was a prominent English engraver and painter, known for his landscapes and portraits. He was a member of the Royal Academy.

Moving into the 19th century, Samuel Pointer (1805-1870) was an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Paul in Wilton Place.

Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with this surname was Sir James Pointer (1876-1954), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as Governor of Bermuda from 1933 to 1938.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pointer

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

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

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

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