Find out how popular the last name Pacas is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pacas.

Pacas, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pacas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pacas in America

Pacas is the 36970th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pacas surname appeared 604 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pacas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pacas to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pacas

The surname Pacas is believed to have originated in Spain, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Spanish word "paca," which refers to a small, herbivorous rodent native to South America. This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or a descriptive term for someone with a physical or behavioral resemblance to the animal.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pacas surname can be found in a 14th-century document from the region of Andalusia, where a certain Juan Pacas was mentioned as a landowner. This indicates that the name had already established itself in the area by that time.

In the 16th century, the Pacas family was known to have had a presence in the city of Seville, with several members holding prominent positions in local government and commerce. One notable figure was Rodrigo Pacas, a wealthy merchant who lived from 1524 to 1598 and was involved in the lucrative trade between Spain and its American colonies.

The Pacas surname also found its way to the New World, with several individuals bearing the name appearing in records from the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In 1634, a Francisco Pacas was listed as a settler in the city of Santiago de Guatemala, which is now part of modern-day Guatemala.

Another significant figure in the history of the Pacas name was José Pacas, a prominent military leader and politician in El Salvador during the early 19th century. He played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence from Spain and later served as the first president of the Federal Republic of Central America from 1825 to 1826.

In the late 18th century, a branch of the Pacas family settled in the region of Valencia, Spain, where they became known for their involvement in agriculture and winemaking. One notable member was Antonio Pacas (1742-1812), a successful winemaker whose vineyards were renowned for their exceptional quality.

While the Pacas surname is relatively uncommon today, it has left its mark on various regions of Spain and Latin America throughout history, with several notable individuals bearing the name and contributing to their respective communities in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pacas

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pacas.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pacas was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pacas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pacas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pacas, please contact us.

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