2000
#512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 58,534
First available Census row
Per 100,000 21.70
Uncommon Last name
Pacheco
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the place name Pacheco, meaning "peaceful spot" or "resting place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 88,233 Americans carry the last name Pacheco. That puts it at #412 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 25.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,885 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pacheco surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pacheco with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
88K
1 in 3,885
Census rank
#412
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
25.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
77K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 76,943 bearers of the surname Pacheco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 25.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 412th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacheco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pacheco
The surname Pacheco originated in Portugal during the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese word "pacheco," which means "pacifier" or "peacemaker." The name likely referred to someone who had a calming presence or was known for resolving conflicts.
The earliest recorded instances of the Pacheco surname date back to the 13th century in the region of Beira Litoral, Portugal. It is believed that the name may have originated in the town of Pacheco, located in the district of Aveiro. This town's name is derived from the Latin word "pax," meaning peace, further reinforcing the name's connection to peacemaking.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Pacheco was João Pacheco (c. 1295 - c. 1350), a Portuguese nobleman and military leader who served as the alcaide (governor) of Coimbra during the reign of King Afonso IV. He played a crucial role in the Portuguese Reconquista, the campaign to retake territories from the Moors.
Another prominent figure was Duarte Pacheco Pereira (c. 1470 - 1533), a Portuguese explorer, navigator, and author. He is best known for his work "Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis," which provided valuable information about the Portuguese discoveries and trade routes in the Indian Ocean.
In the 16th century, Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio (c. 1520 - 1576) was a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1624 to 1628. He played a significant role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
During the 17th century, Juan Pacheco y Narváez (1602 - 1672) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraiture. He was active in Madrid and Seville, and his works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
In the 19th century, José Pacheco y Obes (1820 - 1899) was a Uruguayan politician and diplomat who served as the President of Uruguay from 1868 to 1872. He played a crucial role in the nation's political and economic development during that period.
The Pacheco surname has spread worldwide through immigration and has been adopted by individuals of various ethnic backgrounds. However, its origins remain firmly rooted in Portugal, where it emerged as a designation for those known for their peacekeeping and conflict resolution abilities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pacheco
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacheco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pacheco bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pacheco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.6% · 62,025
- White15.4% · 11,871
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 1,086
- Two or more races1.0% · 791
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 664
- Black or African American0.7% · 506
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pacheco
Pacheco appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 77,642
+19,108 bearers (+32.6%)
Per 100,000 26.32
Rank movement Up 93 places
2020
#412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 76,943
-699 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 25.74
Rank movement Up 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #512 | 58,534 | 21.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #419 | 77,642 | 26.32 | +19,108 bearers (+32.6%) | Up 93 places |
| 2020 | #412 | 76,943 | 25.74 | -699 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 7 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pacheco surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #419 | #412 | 1.7% |
| Count | 77,642 | 76,943 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 26.32 | 25.74 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pacheco bearers went from 77,642 to 76,943 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #419 to #412.
FAQ
Pacheco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pacheco?
Name Census estimates that about 88,233 living Americans carry the surname Pacheco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,885 residents.
How common is Pacheco?
Pacheco ranks #412 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 25.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 26 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 76,943 people with the surname Pacheco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (88,233), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 25.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 25.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 26 of them to have the surname Pacheco.
Has Pacheco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pacheco went from 77,642 recorded bearers to 76,943. That is a decrease of 699 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #419 to #412.
What does the Census say about the background of Pacheco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacheco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pacheco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (62,025 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pacheco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.6%), White (15.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pacheco (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pacheco mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the place name Pacheco, meaning "peaceful spot" or "resting place." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pacheco (25.74 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Pacheco?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Pacheco, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.