NameCensus.

UK surname

Pinkney

Derives from the place name Pinkeny in Normandy, France, likely referring to a person from that locality.

In the 1881 census there were 1,175 people recorded with the Pinkney surname, ranking it #3,425 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,721, ranked #3,627, down from #3,425 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whitworth and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Doncaster and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pinkney is 1,838 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.5%.

1881 census count

1,175

Ranked #3,425

Modern count

1,721

2016, ranked #3,627

Peak year

1999

1,838 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pinkney had 1,175 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,425 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,721 in 2016, ranked #3,627.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,649 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Pinkney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pinkney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pinkney 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 684 #3,802
1861 historical 602 #4,399
1881 historical 1,175 #3,425
1891 historical 1,272 #3,396
1901 historical 1,523 #3,379
1911 historical 1,649 #2,955
1997 modern 1,805 #3,324
1998 modern 1,836 #3,398
1999 modern 1,838 #3,414
2000 modern 1,792 #3,470
2001 modern 1,779 #3,418
2002 modern 1,795 #3,462
2003 modern 1,709 #3,565
2004 modern 1,723 #3,533
2005 modern 1,696 #3,546
2006 modern 1,718 #3,513
2007 modern 1,743 #3,511
2008 modern 1,742 #3,533
2009 modern 1,766 #3,557
2010 modern 1,807 #3,556
2011 modern 1,797 #3,537
2012 modern 1,725 #3,603
2013 modern 1,745 #3,619
2014 modern 1,748 #3,629
2015 modern 1,722 #3,641
2016 modern 1,721 #3,627

Geography

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Where Pinkneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Whitworth, Gateshead, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Brancepeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Doncaster and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Whitworth Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Middleton-in-Teesdale Durham
5 Brancepeth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 065 County Durham
2 Doncaster 037 Doncaster
3 Stockton-on-Tees 015 Stockton-on-Tees
4 County Durham 046 County Durham
5 County Durham 045 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pinkney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pinkney

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Pinkney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Pinkney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pinkney 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

Pinkney is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pinkney falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pinkney

The surname Pinkney is of English origin, derived from an old Anglo-Saxon personal name "Pinca" or "Pinca's ey" meaning "the island of Pinca." This name likely originated in the area of Norfolk, England during the early medieval period.

Records show that the name Pinkney was first documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England following the Norman Conquest. It is believed that the earliest recorded bearer of this name was Radulfus Pinchenei, a Norman landowner holding estates in Norfolk.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Pynkeneye, Pynkeny, and Pynkeneye. These variations were influenced by local dialects and the scribes who recorded the names at the time.

One notable bearer of the Pinkney name was Henry Pinkney (c. 1391-1453), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1429. Another was William Pinkney (1764-1822), an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as the 8th United States Attorney General from 1811 to 1814.

In the 18th century, the Pinkney family established themselves in Maryland, United States. William Pinkney (1764-1822) was born in Annapolis, Maryland, and his son, Edward Coate Pinkney (1802-1828), was a renowned American poet and scholar.

Another notable figure was Thomas Pinkney (1619-1663), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1660 to 1663.

The Pinkney surname also had connections to various place names in England, such as Pinkney Green in Gloucestershire and Pinkney's Green in Buckinghamshire, further solidifying its English origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pinkney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pinkney 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. Yorkshire leads with 458 Pinkneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.03x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 458 4.03x
Durham 408 11.96x
Suffolk 58 4.15x
Middlesex 41 0.36x
Northumberland 36 2.11x
Nottinghamshire 26 1.68x
Lancashire 24 0.18x
Hampshire 22 0.94x
Kent 21 0.54x
Wiltshire 9 0.89x
Worcestershire 8 0.53x
Derbyshire 7 0.39x
Staffordshire 7 0.18x
Essex 6 0.27x
Gloucestershire 6 0.27x
Berkshire 4 0.46x
Devon 4 0.17x
Leicestershire 4 0.31x
Shropshire 4 0.40x
Somerset 4 0.22x
Surrey 4 0.07x
Warwickshire 4 0.14x
Anglesey 2 0.98x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.79x
Angus 1 0.09x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Cumberland 1 0.10x
Dorset 1 0.13x
Herefordshire 1 0.21x
Orkney 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 45 Pinkneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.37x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 45 15.37x
Westoe 34 17.59x
Tudhoe 31 103.92x
Middleton In Teesdale 30 333.33x
Lofthouse 26 153.30x
Kilham 25 524.11x
Middlesbrough 24 16.23x
Longbenton 23 31.84x
Pickering 23 160.84x
Brandon Byshottles 22 51.50x
Bridlington 21 80.77x
Edmondsley 21 575.34x
Cockerton 20 182.82x
Crook Billy Row 18 41.22x
Scarborough 17 16.47x
Guisbrough 16 64.46x
Stockton On Tees 16 9.73x
St Pancras London 13 1.41x
Whitby 13 33.96x
Norton In Malton 12 87.15x
Skelton In Guisbrough 12 39.06x
Darlington 11 8.35x
Eskdaleside 11 197.13x
Kimberworth 11 17.45x
Bagby 10 917.43x
Newbottle 10 53.71x
Aldershot 9 11.44x
Blackwell 9 532.54x
Great Driffield 9 38.61x
Hutton Bushell 9 459.18x
Willingham 9 1451.61x
Boldon 8 65.79x
Hunmanby 8 150.94x
Leeds 8 1.25x
Leven 8 240.24x
Lunedale 8 529.80x
Sutton Stoneferry 8 24.62x
Basford 7 9.83x
Coundon Grange 7 93.58x
Flawith 7 2500.00x
Gateshead 7 2.74x
Gorton 7 5.47x
Harton 7 51.97x
Heworth 7 10.42x
Kings Norton 7 5.22x
Plumstead 7 5.37x
Portsea 7 1.52x
Scagglethorpe 7 700.00x
Shadingfield 7 1093.75x
Shildon 7 25.55x
Bishop Auckland 6 13.11x
Brotton 6 40.49x
Framwellgate 6 29.70x
Hackney London 6 0.93x
Middleham 6 186.92x
Neasham 6 361.45x
Newark Upon Trent 6 10.81x
Newton Cap 6 113.42x
Radford 6 7.64x
Sherburn 6 64.31x
South Hamlet 6 43.13x
Trimdon 6 49.79x
Witton Gilbert 6 44.58x
Alnwick 5 17.05x
Crambe 5 862.07x
Deptford St Paul 5 1.66x
Derby St Michael 5 132.63x
Eggleston 5 170.65x
Elvet 5 20.31x
Grindon 5 370.37x
Heaton Norris 5 6.46x
Hetton Le Hole 5 11.57x
Holbeck 5 6.64x
Holy Trinity 5 1.83x
Hornsea 5 69.44x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.25x
Scargill 5 1190.48x
Tunstall 5 206.61x
West Ham 5 1.00x
Whitworth 5 20.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 83
William 63
Thomas 48
George 43
Robert 35
Joseph 34
James 19
Henry 18
Charles 13
Edward 12
David 11
Frederick 11
Arthur 9
Richard 9
Mark 8
Alfred 7
Wm. 7
Tom 6
Albert 5
Harry 5
Herbert 5
Peter 5
Samuel 5
Francis 4
Robt. 4
Christopher 3
Giles 3
Isaac 3
Ralph 3
Simon 3
Walter 3
Claud 2
Earnest 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frances 2
Fred 2
Harland 2
Matthew 2
Sam 2
Thos. 2
Thos.R. 2
Valentine 2
Cliffard 1
Cornelius 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Jack 1
Jno. 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Pinkney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pinkney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,175 people were recorded with the Pinkney surname. That placed it at #3,425 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pinkney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,721 in 2016. That gives Pinkney a modern rank of #3,627.

What does the Pinkney surname mean?

Derives from the place name Pinkeny in Normandy, France, likely referring to a person from that locality.

What does the Pinkney map show?

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