| José María Pico | |
| Birthname: | José Darío María Pico |
| Birth Date: | 1764 |
| Birth Place: | San Xavier de Cavazan (Sonora, New Spain) |
| Death Date: | 1819 |
| Death Place: | San Gabriel, Alta California, New Spain |
| Occupation: | military |
José Darío María Pico (1764 - 1819) was member of the Pico family of California, an important Californio family to Southern California. He was a soldier in the Company of San Diego since 1782, corporal at Mission San Luis Rey (1798) and sergeant (1805–1818).
José María Pico was born in 1764 in San Xavier Cavazos, Sonora, New Spain. His mother, María Jacinta de la Bastida, was of mixed European and African descent. His father, Santiago Pico, was Mestizo (Europe and Native Mexican descent) and a member of the prominent Pico family of California. His brothers were José Dolores, José María, José Miguel, Francisco Javier, Patricio, and his sisters María Antonia Tomasa and Josefa María. His family moved to California when he was a child.
He served as a soldier and in 1782 joined the company at the Presidio of San Diego. Later, in 1798, he became a corporal of guard at Mission San Luis Rey. Between 1805 and 1818 he reached the position of sergeant, also in San Luis Rey, retiring in 1818. José María Pico died in 1819, in San Gabriel, California.[1]
In 1789, he married María Estaquia López (o Gutiérrez), originally from Sonora. His three sons were Andrés, José Antonio Bernardo and Pío. He also had six daughters: Concepción, Estefanía, Jacinta, Ysadora, Tomasa, and Feliciana. José María, was the father of Pio Pico, who was the last Mexican governor of California.