NameCensus.

UK surname

Pinckney

A surname of Norman French origin, derived from a place name meaning "person from Pincé," a town in France.

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Pinckney surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 165, ranked #22,234, down from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christ Church Spitalfields, Gateshead and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Luton and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pinckney is 200 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.1%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

165

2016, ranked #22,234

Peak year

2000

200 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pinckney had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016, ranked #22,234.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pinckney surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pinckney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pinckney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pinckney over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 86 #18,820
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 123 #20,939
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 183 #18,642
1998 modern 197 #18,283
1999 modern 198 #18,343
2000 modern 200 #18,209
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 194 #18,651
2003 modern 180 #19,347
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 174 #19,921
2007 modern 166 #20,811
2008 modern 163 #21,238
2009 modern 164 #21,628
2010 modern 175 #21,186
2011 modern 162 #22,101
2012 modern 164 #21,883
2013 modern 166 #22,075
2014 modern 169 #22,006
2015 modern 166 #22,159
2016 modern 165 #22,234

Geography

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Where Pinckneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christ Church Spitalfields, Gateshead, St Dunstan Stepney, Long Benton and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Luton, Cheshire West and Chester, Basildon and Sevenoaks. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
2 Gateshead Durham
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Long Benton Northumberland
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 047 Wiltshire
2 Luton 004 Luton
3 Cheshire West and Chester 039 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Basildon 007 Basildon
5 Sevenoaks 001 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pinckney

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pinckney surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pinckney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pinckney, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Pinckney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pinckney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Pinckney is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pinckney is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pinckney falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pinckney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pinckney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pinckney

The surname PINCKNEY is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "pinc" meaning "hill" or "mound" and "ey" meaning "island." It is believed to have originated in the county of Oxfordshire, England, during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instance of the name PINCKNEY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Pinchenai," referring to a location in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was initially a toponymic surname, derived from a place name.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Pincheneye" and "Pincheneie" in various records, reflecting the evolution of its spelling over time. During this period, several notable individuals bore the surname PINCKNEY, including Sir Robert Pinckney (c. 1230-1295), a prominent English knight and landowner.

As the name spread across England, it took on various spellings, such as "Pincknye," "Pynkney," and "Pinckney." One of the most famous bearers of the name was Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746-1825), an American politician and diplomat who served as the 37th Governor of South Carolina.

Another notable figure was William Pinckney (1670-1719), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. In the 18th century, Thomas Pinckney (1750-1828), an American soldier and diplomat, played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War and later served as the United States Minister to Spain.

The PINCKNEY surname also gained prominence in the literary world with the English poet and author Edward Coote Pinkney (1802-1828), who was known for his works such as "A Health" and "Travels in Palestine."

It is worth noting that the name PINCKNEY has been associated with several prominent families in the United States, particularly in South Carolina, where it has a long and distinguished history dating back to the colonial era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pinckney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pinckney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 39 Pinckneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.25x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 39 3.25x
Wiltshire 25 23.56x
Hampshire 14 5.69x
Surrey 10 1.71x
Essex 9 3.80x
Lancashire 8 0.56x
Northamptonshire 4 3.54x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.80x
Oxfordshire 2 2.70x
Sussex 2 0.99x
Berkshire 1 1.11x
Cheshire 1 0.38x
Cumberland 1 0.97x
Devon 1 0.40x
Dorset 1 1.27x
Gloucestershire 1 0.43x
Hertfordshire 1 1.21x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 16 Pinckneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.70x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 16 30.70x
Mile End Old Town 13 68.64x
Durnford 10 5555.56x
Christchurch 6 112.57x
Leyton Low 6 124.74x
Britford 5 714.29x
Hornsey 5 32.96x
Portsea 5 10.37x
Toxteth Park 5 10.37x
Bradford On Avon 4 117.65x
Lambeth 4 3.82x
Peterborough 4 48.96x
Milston 3 5000.00x
St Pancras London 3 3.11x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 9.62x
Berwick St James 2 2500.00x
Chichester St Pancras 2 333.33x
East Molesey 2 147.06x
Liverpool 2 2.31x
Newington 2 4.51x
Rotherfield Greys 2 256.41x
Southampton St Mary 2 12.94x
West Ham 2 3.82x
Amesbury 1 217.39x
Bishop Stortford 1 36.23x
Bishops Tawton 1 128.21x
Blackrod 1 56.50x
Clapham 1 6.67x
Godalming 1 27.17x
Heston 1 25.13x
Ingatestone 1 263.16x
Knaresborough 1 53.48x
Millom 1 31.55x
Radley 1 434.78x
St Faith Winchester 1 86.96x
St Marylebone London 1 1.56x
Stockport 1 7.34x
Westbury On Trym 1 12.55x
Weymouth 1 67.11x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pinckney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Alice 4
Emily 4
Jane 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Sarah 3
Amey 2
Eliza 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Eleanor 1
Elsie 1
Emma 1
Etheldred 1
Evelyn 1
Francis 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Manny 1
Margaret 1
Margaretta 1
Marianne 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Muriel 1
Violet 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pinckney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 9
William 5
Alfred 3
George 3
James 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
Erlysman 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Josephus 2
Percival 2
Thomas 2
Augustus 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Erlysonan 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Phillip 1
R. 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1
Willm.P. 1

FAQ

Pinckney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pinckney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Pinckney surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pinckney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016. That gives Pinckney a modern rank of #22,234.

What does the Pinckney surname mean?

A surname of Norman French origin, derived from a place name meaning "person from Pincé," a town in France.

What does the Pinckney map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pinckney bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.