2000
#55,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 345
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Pinel
A surname of French origin meaning "pine tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 458 Americans carry the last name Pinel. That puts it at #55,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 748,372 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pinel 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.
Bearers in the US
458
1 in 748,372
Census rank
#55,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
399
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 399 bearers of the surname Pinel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.9%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pinel
The surname PINEL originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "pin," meaning pine tree, and likely referred to someone who lived near a pine forest or worked with pine wood. The name may also be related to the Latin word "pinus," which has the same meaning.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century, with mentions in old parish records and legal documents. One notable early bearer of the name was Jehan PINEL, a merchant from the city of Rouen, who is mentioned in a trade agreement from 1287.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that some individuals with the PINEL surname may have migrated from France to England during the Norman conquest.
The PINEL name is also associated with several notable historical figures. Philippe PINEL (1745-1826) was a French physician who is considered one of the founders of modern psychiatry. He advocated for more humane treatment of mental patients and helped reform the inhumane conditions in French asylums.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Charles PINEL (1776-1856), a French painter and engraver who specialized in portraiture and historical scenes. His works can be found in various art museums across France.
In the 19th century, Edme Frédéric PINEL (1818-1893) was a French engineer and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the construction of the Suez Canal. He later became the director of the Suez Canal Company.
The surname PINEL can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as Spain and Italy, where it likely arrived through French migration or trade connections. However, its origins and meaning remain rooted in the French language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pinel
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.9%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pinel 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 Pinel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino48.9% · 195
- White44.6% · 178
- Black or African American3.3% · 13
- Two or more races2.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pinel
Pinel 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
#53,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 384
+39 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 1,807 places
2020
#55,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 399
+15 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,609 | 345 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,802 | 384 | 0.13 | +39 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 1,807 places |
| 2020 | #55,517 | 399 | 0.13 | +15 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 1,715 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 Pinel 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 | #53,802 | #55,517 | -3.2% |
| Count | 384 | 399 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | 2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pinel bearers went from 384 to 399 (+3.9% change). The surname moved down 1,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,802 to #55,517.
FAQ
Pinel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pinel?
Name Census estimates that about 458 living Americans carry the surname Pinel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 748,372 residents.
How common is Pinel?
Pinel ranks #55,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 399 people with the surname Pinel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (458), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pinel.
Has Pinel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pinel went from 384 recorded bearers to 399. That is an increase of 15 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #53,802 to #55,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Pinel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.9%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Black (3.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pinel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.9% (195 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pinel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (48.9%), White (44.6%), Black (3.3%). 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 Pinel (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 Pinel mean?
A surname of French origin meaning "pine tree". 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 Pinel (0.13 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 share the surname Pinel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.