2000
#10,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,968
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Pyne
Derived from a Middle English term referring to a pine tree or a place with pine trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,623 Americans carry the last name Pyne. That puts it at #9,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,605 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pyne 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 Pyne with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,605
Census rank
#9,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,159 bearers of the surname Pyne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyne, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pyne
The surname PYNE is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period, around the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "pyne," meaning "pine tree," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked with pine trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PYNE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a historical record from 1273, where it appears as "Pyne." This document provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during that time period in England.
The name PYNE is also linked to various place names in England, such as Pyn Farm in Herefordshire and Pyn Hill in Somerset. These place names likely originated from the same Old English word, indicating that the surname may have been adopted by individuals who lived or worked in these areas.
Notable individuals bearing the surname PYNE throughout history include:
1. Thomas Pyne (c. 1567-1625), an English barrister and member of parliament during the reign of King James I.
2. Robert Pyne (1599-1663), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Buckland Brewer in Devon.
3. William Pyne (1769-1843), an English writer, artist, and publisher known for his works on British costume and architecture.
4. James Baker Pyne (1800-1870), an English architect and landscape designer who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
5. Louisa Fanny Pyne (1832-1904), an English operatic soprano who achieved great success on the stage in the 19th century.
While the surname PYNE has roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely through immigration and migration patterns over the centuries. The name's origins, however, remain firmly rooted in the Old English language and the historical records of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pyne
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyne, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pyne 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 Pyne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 2,618
- Black or African American8.7% · 276
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 109
- Two or more races2.3% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pyne
Pyne 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
#10,422
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,089
+121 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 404 places
2020
#9,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,159
+70 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 634 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,018 | 2,968 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,422 | 3,089 | 1.05 | +121 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 404 places |
| 2020 | #9,788 | 3,159 | 1.06 | +70 bearers (+2.3%) | Up 634 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 Pyne 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 | #10,422 | #9,788 | 6.1% |
| Count | 3,089 | 3,159 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.06 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pyne bearers went from 3,089 to 3,159 (+2.3% change). The surname moved up 634 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,422 to #9,788.
FAQ
Pyne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pyne?
Name Census estimates that about 3,623 living Americans carry the surname Pyne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,605 residents.
How common is Pyne?
Pyne ranks #9,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,159 people with the surname Pyne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,623), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Pyne.
Has Pyne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pyne went from 3,089 recorded bearers to 3,159. That is an increase of 70 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,422 to #9,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Pyne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyne, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pyne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (2,618 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pyne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Black (8.7%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Pyne (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 Pyne mean?
Derived from a Middle English term referring to a pine tree or a place with pine trees. 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 Pyne (1.06 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 Pyne?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.