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.
- #7,612 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 531
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak 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.
- #7,612 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 531 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pinkney ranks #7,612 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 531 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7,612 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 531
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Pinkney's 531 recorded births place it above 83.26% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by South Carolina.
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 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
1920s is the heaviest window (117 births, 22% of the file).
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 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% |
31 of 531 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pinkney? ▼
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When was Pinkney most popular? ▼
Where is Pinkney most popular? ▼
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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
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
Compare Pinkney side by side: Pinkney vs Pinchas Pinkney vs Pink Pinkney vs Pinchus
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pinkney: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1916)
Similar record span (~78 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.