NameCensus.

UK surname

Pink

A surname referring to someone with a pale complexion or who dyed fabric using the color pink.

In the 1881 census there were 1,972 people recorded with the Pink surname, ranking it #2,221 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,800, ranked #2,412, down from #2,221 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fareham, London parishes and Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Winchester, East Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pink is 2,956 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.0%.

1881 census count

1,972

Ranked #2,221

Modern count

2,800

2016, ranked #2,412

Peak year

1998

2,956 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pink had 1,972 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,221 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,800 in 2016, ranked #2,412.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,801 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Pink surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pink surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pink 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 1,472 #1,949
1861 historical 1,239 #2,306
1881 historical 1,972 #2,221
1891 historical 2,217 #2,104
1901 historical 2,577 #2,133
1911 historical 2,801 #1,856
1997 modern 2,876 #2,243
1998 modern 2,956 #2,278
1999 modern 2,929 #2,313
2000 modern 2,892 #2,328
2001 modern 2,823 #2,329
2002 modern 2,892 #2,329
2003 modern 2,814 #2,336
2004 modern 2,802 #2,347
2005 modern 2,742 #2,362
2006 modern 2,737 #2,368
2007 modern 2,769 #2,370
2008 modern 2,764 #2,390
2009 modern 2,812 #2,398
2010 modern 2,853 #2,415
2011 modern 2,765 #2,447
2012 modern 2,723 #2,439
2013 modern 2,784 #2,436
2014 modern 2,813 #2,432
2015 modern 2,788 #2,424
2016 modern 2,800 #2,412

Geography

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Where Pinks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fareham, London parishes, Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Winchester, East Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Fareham. 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 Fareham Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner Hampshire
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Winchester 012 Winchester
2 Winchester 013 Winchester
3 East Hampshire 003 East Hampshire
4 Isle of Wight 010 Isle of Wight
5 Fareham 003 Fareham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pink

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pink

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pink is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pink 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

Pink falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pink

The surname PINK is believed to have originated in England, where it first emerged in the late 12th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "pinc," which referred to someone who worked with a type of reddish-colored cloth or dye. The name may also have been given as a nickname to someone with a particularly ruddy or rosy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PINK surname dates back to 1196, when a man named Gilbert le Pinc was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire. Over the following centuries, the name appeared in various medieval records with spellings such as Pynke, Pynk, and Pincke.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire listed a William Pinc, while a Robert le Pynk was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665 also mentioned a Thomas Pincke in the city of York.

One notable historical figure with the PINK surname was Robert Pink, a 17th-century English clergyman and writer who lived from 1617 to 1696. He was a rector in the Church of England and authored several religious works, including "The Religion of a Protestant, Clear'd from the Novelties of Popery" and "The Student and Preacher's Assistant."

Another individual of note was John Pink, born in 1663 in London, who was a renowned English engraver and cartographer. He is best known for his intricate maps and engravings of various cities and counties throughout England, many of which were published in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, Robert Pink (1784-1858) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Evangelical Library and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Bermondsey. He also worked on the restoration of several historic churches and cathedrals.

Henry Pink (1800-1867) was a British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Henry Pink & Sons engineering company in Birmingham. The company played a significant role in the development of steam engine technology during the Industrial Revolution.

Thomas Pink (1845-1915) was a British tailor and founder of the renowned shirtmaking company Thomas Pink, which continues to operate to this day. He established his first shop in London in 1884 and became renowned for his high-quality shirts and innovative collar designs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pink families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pink 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. Hampshire leads with 649 Pinks recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.46x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 649 16.46x
Surrey 319 3.40x
Middlesex 272 1.41x
Cambridgeshire 139 11.41x
Kent 134 2.04x
Sussex 133 4.10x
Yorkshire 52 0.27x
Lancashire 21 0.09x
Cheshire 20 0.47x
Essex 19 0.50x
Somerset 19 0.61x
Devon 18 0.45x
Berkshire 17 1.18x
Wiltshire 17 1.00x
Gloucestershire 16 0.42x
Cumberland 13 0.78x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.50x
Northamptonshire 12 0.66x
Hertfordshire 10 0.75x
Leicestershire 10 0.47x
Oxfordshire 10 0.84x
Derbyshire 9 0.30x
Denbighshire 8 1.10x
Cornwall 6 0.28x
Durham 5 0.09x
Northumberland 5 0.17x
Renfrewshire 5 0.34x
Royal Navy 5 2.18x
Ayrshire 2 0.14x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.25x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.52x
Warwickshire 2 0.04x
Worcestershire 2 0.08x
Angus 1 0.06x
Berwickshire 1 0.43x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.19x
Isle of Man 1 0.28x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 75 Pinks recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.71x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 75 9.71x
Fareham 49 103.42x
Alverstoke 46 32.23x
Croydon 40 7.69x
St Andrewthe Less 40 28.74x
Battersea 35 4.94x
Islington London 35 1.88x
Lambeth 35 2.09x
Droxford 34 225.91x
Stanton All Sts 34 1259.26x
East Meon 31 301.26x
Newington 29 4.08x
Camberwell 28 2.28x
Chelsea London 27 4.66x
Bishops Waltham 26 158.34x
Paddington London 23 3.25x
St Pancras London 23 1.49x
Stoke 20 45.22x
Greenwich 19 6.20x
Bexley 18 31.02x
Greywell 18 895.52x
Alton 17 57.20x
Binsted 17 113.11x
Kensington London 17 1.59x
St Marylebone London 17 1.66x
Boxworth 15 903.61x
Brighton 15 2.29x
Beddington 14 38.62x
Colemore 14 2121.21x
Lewisham 14 4.00x
Lower Bebington 14 55.49x
Bromley 13 12.99x
Shoreditch London 13 1.56x
Tottenham 13 4.24x
East Tisted 12 967.74x
Froxfield 11 241.76x
Hauxton 11 650.89x
Odiham 11 63.58x
Frensham 10 72.67x
Kingston On Thames 10 4.44x
St George In East 10 7.64x
St Mary Extra 10 31.52x
Steep 10 253.16x
Bedminster 9 3.09x
Brading 9 17.18x
Buriton 9 118.58x
Farnham 9 12.35x
Newton 9 189.87x
St Faith Winchester 9 48.97x
Taunton St Mary 9 15.83x
Tonbridge 9 3.80x
Wickham 9 124.14x
Wrotham 9 41.40x
York St Mary 9 11.40x
Binderton 8 1212.12x
Broughton 8 28.01x
Dockenfield 8 579.71x
Isleworth 8 9.35x
Middlesbrough 8 3.22x
Mile End Old Town 8 2.63x
Newnham 8 337.55x
Portslade 8 40.34x
Rotherhithe 8 3.37x
South Hayling 8 113.96x
St Giles In Fields 8 12.06x
Warblington 8 51.15x
Weeton 8 375.59x
West Ham 8 0.95x
West Wittering 8 183.91x
York St Maurice 8 22.29x
Basildon 7 161.29x
Chapel En Le Frith 7 25.45x
Fulham London 7 2.51x
Hanwell 7 20.53x
Headley 7 65.30x
Milford 7 60.76x
Penge 7 5.70x
St Albans St Michael 7 47.23x
St Edward Cambridge 7 180.88x
Woking 7 12.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 108
Elizabeth 69
Sarah 60
Jane 42
Annie 35
Eliza 35
Emily 35
Alice 32
Ellen 27
Ann 22
Caroline 21
Emma 19
Charlotte 18
Harriett 17
Louisa 17
Fanny 16
Harriet 16
Martha 16
Rose 16
Edith 15
Kate 15
Florence 12
Hannah 12
Frances 10
Margaret 10
Ada 9
Anne 9
Lily 9
Lucy 9
Rosa 9
Susan 9
Agnes 8
Jessie 8
Laura 8
Matilda 8
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Lydia 6
Maria 6
Sophia 6
Amelia 5
Eleanor 5
Helen 5
Bertha 4
Flora 4
Ruth 4
Catherine 3
Lilly 3
Nellie 3
Rebecca 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 137
George 91
John 83
James 67
Charles 63
Henry 46
Alfred 41
Thomas 37
Arthur 28
Edward 28
Joseph 24
Albert 23
Walter 22
Harry 20
Herbert 18
Frederick 17
Ernest 16
Robert 16
Richard 11
Frank 10
Samuel 10
Percy 9
Francis 7
Fredrick 6
Fredk. 5
Edwin 4
Sidney 4
Thos. 4
Benjamin 3
Chas. 3
David 3
Edmund 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Harold 3
Philip 3
Stephen 3
Earnest 2
Isaac 2
Jonathan 2
Oliver 2
Peter 2
Saml. 2
Allen 1
Caleb 1
Cecil 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Ellis 1
Ernes 1

FAQ

Pink surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pink surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,972 people were recorded with the Pink surname. That placed it at #2,221 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pink surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,800 in 2016. That gives Pink a modern rank of #2,412.

What does the Pink surname mean?

A surname referring to someone with a pale complexion or who dyed fabric using the color pink.

What does the Pink map show?

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