Total births
531
Boys' name · since 1880
Pinkney
531 babies named Pinkney in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1916. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 531
- total births
- 1880–1958
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
531 boys have been named Pinkney since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Pinkney has 531 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1958.
- 531 total births
- 1880–1958 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
531 boys have been named Pinkney since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1958.
- 531
- total births
- 1880–1958
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Pinkney was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
17 babies were named Pinkney in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
Pinkney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Pinkney's full recorded timeline at 1922, 48% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 52% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1893, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1916 peak of 17 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Pinkney at a glance
Last recorded 1958Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Pinkney popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1958
- Peak year (1916)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 79 years of records
Pinkney by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Pinkney's strongest decade.
117 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Pinkney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
70 births
- 1890s 43
1890s
43 births
- 1900s 32
1900s
32 births
- 1910s
1910s
106 births
- 1920s
1920s
117 births
- 1930s
1930s
80 births
- 1940s
1940s
48 births
- 1950s 35
1950s
35 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 117 births (22% of all-time use).
How Pinkney compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Pinkney's total volume
Pinkney vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Pinkney by state
Where Pinkney concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | South Carolina | | 31 | 5.8% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.9% |
South Carolina share of Pinkney's total US births 5.8%
Even split
31 of 531 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pinkney? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 531 babies named Pinkney. The most recent recorded year was 1958. Its busiest year on record was 1916, with 17 births.
When was Pinkney most popular? ▼
Pinkney was most popular in the 1920s decade with 117 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Pinkney most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pinkney are South Carolina (31 births), North Carolina (5 births).
How long has the name Pinkney been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Pinkney since 1880 -- 79 years through the most recent 1958 data.
What names are similar to Pinkney? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pinchas, Pink, Pinchus, Pinchos, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Pinkney's data
- Pinkney's decade-level peak was the 1920s (117 total births); usage has since declined to 35 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- South Carolina records the most Pinkneys (31 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. South Carolina names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pinkney
Nearby Names Like Pinkney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pinkney
Pinchas Boy
#2616 1,199 births
Pink Boy
1,089 births
Pinchus Boy
#4371 708 births
Pinchos Boy
#6989 387 births
Pinches Boy
#7175 103 births
Compare Pinkney side by side: Pinkney vs Pinchas Pinkney vs Pink Pinkney vs Pinchus
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–1958 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pinkney: Baby Name Since 1880 - 531 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pinkney. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Pinkney draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.