NameCensus.

UK surname

Pinion

A surname referring to a bird's wing or feather, or an occupational name for a maker of pinions.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Pinion surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 203, ranked #19,396, down from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Billinghay, Kyme and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Castle Point, Shotts and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pinion is 235 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.0%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

203

2016, ranked #19,396

Peak year

1998

235 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pinion had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016, ranked #19,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 210 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Pinion surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pinion surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pinion 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 172 #16,643
1911 historical 210 #14,515
1997 modern 228 #16,211
1998 modern 235 #16,358
1999 modern 227 #16,834
2000 modern 231 #16,610
2001 modern 222 #16,806
2002 modern 217 #17,388
2003 modern 207 #17,746
2004 modern 205 #17,935
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 210 #17,718
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 209 #18,114
2009 modern 221 #17,848
2010 modern 215 #18,551
2011 modern 223 #17,940
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 219 #18,385
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 208 #19,085
2016 modern 203 #19,396

Geography

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Where Pinions are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Billinghay, Kyme, Manchester, Beckenham and Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Castle Point, Shotts, Peterborough, Waveney and Thurrock. 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 Billinghay Lincolnshire
2 Kyme Lincolnshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Beckenham Kent
5 Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire) Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Castle Point 002 Castle Point
2 Shotts North Lanarkshire
3 Peterborough 005 Peterborough
4 Waveney 004 Waveney
5 Thurrock 013 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pinion

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pinion

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pinion, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Pinion surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Pinion household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pinion is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pinion is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pinion falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pinion 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 Pinion, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pinion

The surname PINION has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "pignon", which means a gable or the top part of a roof. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a house with a distinctive gable or perhaps a builder or carpenter who specialized in constructing gables.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1195, where a person named Ricardus Piniun is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 13th century, the name PINION appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a William Pynyon is listed. This further indicates the name's presence in different regions of England during this period.

Interestingly, the PINION surname shares similarities with the place name "Pinvin" in Worcestershire, which was recorded as "Pinefen" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests a possible connection between the surname and a specific location, although the exact relationship remains uncertain.

Among notable individuals with the PINION surname throughout history, one can mention:

1. Richard Pinion (c. 1580 - 1640), an English merchant and ship owner who played a role in the early colonization of Virginia. 2. John Pinion (1680 - 1751), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire. 3. Elizabeth Pinion (1735 - 1809), a prominent Quaker philanthropist and advocate for women's education in England. 4. Thomas Pinion (1804 - 1876), a British architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London. 5. William Pinion (1852 - 1920), an English novelist and playwright who wrote several popular works during the Victorian era.

These examples demonstrate the presence of the PINION surname across various professions and historical periods, further emphasizing its enduring legacy in England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pinion families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pinion 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. Lincolnshire leads with 60 Pinions recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.37x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 60 29.37x
Middlesex 21 1.64x
Surrey 21 3.37x
Cambridgeshire 7 8.65x
Lancashire 6 0.40x
Yorkshire 6 0.47x
Hampshire 4 1.53x
Kent 3 0.69x
Ayrshire 2 2.09x
Sussex 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Kyme in Lincolnshire leads with 20 Pinions recorded in 1881 and an index of 8695.65x.

Place Total Index
South Kyme 20 8695.65x
Walcott 20 6060.61x
Dunston 8 2352.94x
Whittlesey St Mary St 7 247.35x
Bermondsey 6 15.77x
Bethnal Green London 6 10.81x
Pudsey 6 88.63x
Godalming 5 127.55x
Paddington London 5 10.64x
Heaton Norris 4 46.35x
Bromley 3 45.18x
Fetcham 3 1428.57x
Fulham London 3 16.19x
Holdenhurst 3 43.67x
Richmond 3 34.40x
St George In East 3 34.52x
Amber Hill 2 1176.47x
Brothertoft 2 1818.18x
Croydon 2 5.79x
Dalry 2 44.44x
Timberland 2 909.09x
Alverstoke 1 10.55x
Billinghay 1 158.73x
Gorton 1 7.02x
Grantham 1 37.59x
Haigh 1 188.68x
Heckington 1 128.21x
Kingston On Thames 1 6.68x
Lindfield 1 109.89x
Little Hale 1 625.00x
Rowston 1 1000.00x
Ruskington 1 192.31x
St George Martyr 1 46.51x
St Giles In Fields 1 22.68x
St Martin In Fields 1 13.07x
Wapping London 1 102.04x
West Clandon 1 625.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Pinion surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pinion surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Pinion surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pinion surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016. That gives Pinion a modern rank of #19,396.

What does the Pinion surname mean?

A surname referring to a bird's wing or feather, or an occupational name for a maker of pinions.

What does the Pinion map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pinion 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.