2000
#1,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,538
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.87
Uncommon Last name
Pack
An English occupational surname referring to someone who carried loads or worked as a peddler or bundle maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,491 Americans carry the last name Pack. That puts it at #1,973 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pack 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 Pack with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,727
Census rank
#1,973
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,869 bearers of the surname Pack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1973rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pack, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pack
The surname PACK is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "pac" or "pack," meaning a bundle or package. It likely originated as an occupational name for someone who worked as a packer or carrier of goods.
The earliest recorded instances of the PACK surname date back to the late 12th century. One of the first documented references is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1198, where a person named William Pack is mentioned.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "le Pak" and "le Pakker," reflecting the occupational nature of the surname. For instance, the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273 record a Richard le Pakker.
During the medieval period, the PACK surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, where trade and transportation routes were well-established. This suggests that many individuals with this surname may have been involved in transporting goods or working in related trades.
One notable historical figure bearing the PACK surname was Sir Christopher Pack (c. 1593-1682), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1654-1655. He was a prominent figure in the City of London during the English Civil War and the Commonwealth period.
Another significant individual was Thomas Pack (1701-1768), an English composer and organist who served as the organist at the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow in London. He composed several anthems and other sacred works that were widely performed during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, John Pack (1809-1885), a British horticulturist and nurseryman, made significant contributions to the cultivation of pears and other fruits. He introduced several new varieties and published works on fruit cultivation.
William Pack (1879-1942), an English cricketer, played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and represented the English national team in Test matches against South Africa and Australia in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Judith Pack (1943-2012) was a prominent American writer and academic. She authored several acclaimed novels, including "Among Friends" and "Candida's Choice," and served as a professor of English at Yale University.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the PACK surname throughout history, reflecting its English origins and occupational roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pack
Among Census respondents with the surname Pack, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pack 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 Pack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 14,377
- Black or African American10.1% · 1,810
- Two or more races4.1% · 739
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 516
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 268
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 159
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pack
Pack 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
#1,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,678
+140 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 6.33
Rank movement Down 160 places
2020
#1,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,869
-809 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 5.98
Rank movement Down 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,772 | 18,538 | 6.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,932 | 18,678 | 6.33 | +140 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 160 places |
| 2020 | #1,973 | 17,869 | 5.98 | -809 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 41 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 Pack 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 | #1,932 | #1,973 | -2.1% |
| Count | 18,678 | 17,869 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 6.33 | 5.98 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pack bearers went from 18,678 to 17,869 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,932 to #1,973.
FAQ
Pack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pack?
Name Census estimates that about 20,491 living Americans carry the surname Pack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,727 residents.
How common is Pack?
Pack ranks #1,973 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,869 people with the surname Pack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,491), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Pack.
Has Pack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pack went from 18,678 recorded bearers to 17,869. That is a decrease of 809 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,932 to #1,973.
What does the Census say about the background of Pack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pack, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (14,377 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), Black (10.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Pack (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 Pack mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who carried loads or worked as a peddler or bundle maker. 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 Pack (5.98 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 Pack?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Pack at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.