2000
#6,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.90
Rare Last name
Pinon
A French toponymic surname derived from living near a pine tree or pine grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,251 Americans carry the last name Pinon. That puts it at #5,320 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,270 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pinon 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
7.3K
1 in 47,270
Census rank
#5,320
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,323 bearers of the surname Pinon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5320th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pinon
The surname Pinon has its origins in Spain, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "piñon," meaning pine nut or pine cone, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who harvested or traded in pine nuts.
Pinon is believed to have originated in the regions of Aragon and Catalonia, where pine forests were abundant. The name can be found in medieval Spanish records and documents, such as the "Fueros de Aragón" and the "Fueros de Valencia."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pinon can be found in a charter from the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña, dated 1187, which mentions a certain "Petrus Pinon" as a witness. This document provides evidence of the name's existence in the Aragonese region during the 12th century.
In the 14th century, there are records of a Pedro Pinon, a merchant from Valencia, who was granted permission to trade with the Kingdom of Aragon in 1345. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial regional boundaries and was associated with trade and commerce.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Pinon was Juan Pinon, a Spanish explorer and navigator born in Seville in 1521. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico and is credited with mapping parts of the Gulf of California.
Another prominent individual with the Pinon surname was Francisco Pinon, a Spanish military officer born in Zaragoza in 1678. He served in the War of the Spanish Succession and was appointed Governor of Veracruz, Mexico, in 1712.
In the 18th century, José Pinon, a Spanish composer and organist, was born in Barcelona in 1746. He composed various works for the church and is considered one of the notable figures in the baroque music tradition of Catalonia.
The Pinon surname also made its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization, with records of individuals bearing the name in Mexico, Cuba, and other Spanish territories in the New World.
Overall, the surname Pinon has a rich history rooted in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Aragon and Catalonia. Its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, and it has been associated with occupations, trade, exploration, and even artistic pursuits throughout its long and diverse history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pinon
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pinon 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 Pinon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.9% · 5,746
- White5.8% · 364
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 151
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 23
- Two or more races0.4% · 23
- Black or African American0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pinon
Pinon 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
#5,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,938
+1,811 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 2.35
Rank movement Up 1,100 places
2020
#5,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,323
-615 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 265 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,155 | 5,127 | 1.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,055 | 6,938 | 2.35 | +1,811 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 1,100 places |
| 2020 | #5,320 | 6,323 | 2.12 | -615 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 265 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 Pinon 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 | #5,055 | #5,320 | -5.2% |
| Count | 6,938 | 6,323 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.35 | 2.12 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pinon bearers went from 6,938 to 6,323 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 265 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,055 to #5,320.
FAQ
Pinon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pinon?
Name Census estimates that about 7,251 living Americans carry the surname Pinon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,270 residents.
How common is Pinon?
Pinon ranks #5,320 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,323 people with the surname Pinon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pinon.
Has Pinon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pinon went from 6,938 recorded bearers to 6,323. That is a decrease of 615 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,055 to #5,320.
What does the Census say about the background of Pinon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pinon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Pinon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (5,746 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pinon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.9%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Pinon (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 Pinon mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from living near a pine tree or pine grove. 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 Pinon (2.12 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 have the surname Pinon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.