diff --git a/pandas/core/frame.py b/pandas/core/frame.py
index 2650090a3f61a..a5edd121ad21f 100644
--- a/pandas/core/frame.py
+++ b/pandas/core/frame.py
@@ -8250,6 +8250,12 @@ def groupby(
 
         Parameters
         ----------%s
+        columns : str or object or a list of str
+            Column to use to make new frame's columns.
+
+            .. versionchanged:: 1.1.0
+               Also accept list of columns names.
+
         index : str or object or a list of str, optional
             Column to use to make new frame's index. If None, uses
             existing index.
@@ -8257,12 +8263,6 @@ def groupby(
             .. versionchanged:: 1.1.0
                Also accept list of index names.
 
-        columns : str or object or a list of str
-            Column to use to make new frame's columns.
-
-            .. versionchanged:: 1.1.0
-               Also accept list of columns names.
-
         values : str, object or a list of the previous, optional
             Column(s) to use for populating new frame's values. If not
             specified, all remaining columns will be used and the result will
@@ -8385,9 +8385,7 @@ def groupby(
 
     @Substitution("")
     @Appender(_shared_docs["pivot"])
-    def pivot(
-        self, *, index=lib.NoDefault, columns=lib.NoDefault, values=lib.NoDefault
-    ) -> DataFrame:
+    def pivot(self, *, columns, index=lib.NoDefault, values=lib.NoDefault) -> DataFrame:
         from pandas.core.reshape.pivot import pivot
 
         return pivot(self, index=index, columns=columns, values=values)
diff --git a/pandas/core/reshape/pivot.py b/pandas/core/reshape/pivot.py
index eb95bb2484ebf..91a97f743efeb 100644
--- a/pandas/core/reshape/pivot.py
+++ b/pandas/core/reshape/pivot.py
@@ -500,12 +500,10 @@ def _convert_by(by):
 def pivot(
     data: DataFrame,
     *,
+    columns: IndexLabel,
     index: IndexLabel | lib.NoDefault = lib.NoDefault,
-    columns: IndexLabel | lib.NoDefault = lib.NoDefault,
     values: IndexLabel | lib.NoDefault = lib.NoDefault,
 ) -> DataFrame:
-    if columns is lib.NoDefault:
-        raise TypeError("pivot() missing 1 required argument: 'columns'")
 
     columns_listlike = com.convert_to_list_like(columns)
 
diff --git a/pandas/tests/reshape/test_pivot.py b/pandas/tests/reshape/test_pivot.py
index 2406379892834..b3d2a366bf58a 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/reshape/test_pivot.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/reshape/test_pivot.py
@@ -799,7 +799,7 @@ def test_pivot_with_list_like_values_nans(self, values, method):
     def test_pivot_columns_none_raise_error(self):
         # GH 30924
         df = DataFrame({"col1": ["a", "b", "c"], "col2": [1, 2, 3], "col3": [1, 2, 3]})
-        msg = r"pivot\(\) missing 1 required argument: 'columns'"
+        msg = r"pivot\(\) missing 1 required keyword-only argument: 'columns'"
         with pytest.raises(TypeError, match=msg):
             df.pivot(index="col1", values="col3")
 
@@ -2513,7 +2513,7 @@ def test_pivot_index_list_values_none_immutable_args(self):
     def test_pivot_columns_not_given(self):
         # GH#48293
         df = DataFrame({"a": [1], "b": 1})
-        with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="missing 1 required argument"):
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="missing 1 required keyword-only argument"):
             df.pivot()
 
     def test_pivot_columns_is_none(self):