2000
#3,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,409
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.49
Uncommon Last name
Packard
An English occupational surname referring to a keeper or dweller of a park or enclosed forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,441 Americans carry the last name Packard. That puts it at #3,803 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Packard 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 Packard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,828
Census rank
#3,803
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.1K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,105 bearers of the surname Packard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3803rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Packard, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Packard
The surname Packard originated in England and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "packer," which referred to someone who packed goods or merchandise for transportation. The name was likely an occupational surname given to people who worked as packers or porters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Packard surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a William le Pakkere is listed. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname indicates the French influence on English surnames during the Norman Conquest.
In the 15th century, the Packard surname appeared in various spellings, such as Pakkard, Packarde, and Paccarde, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time period. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire.
The Packard surname is also associated with several place names in England, including Packard's Green in Staffordshire and Packard's Nook in Derbyshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the Packard surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.
Notable individuals with the Packard surname throughout history include:
1. Sir John Packard (c. 1540-1624), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Aylesbury.
2. Samuel Packard (1592-1684), an early American colonist who settled in Massachusetts in the 1630s.
3. Alpheus Packard (1798-1884), an American educator and founder of the Packard Institute in New York.
4. David Packard (1912-1996), co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, a leading technology company.
5. Vance Packard (1914-1996), an American social critic and author known for his works on consumerism and corporate culture.
The Packard surname has a rich history rooted in the occupational and geographical origins of England. While its earliest recorded instances date back to the 14th century, the name has since spread globally and is associated with notable individuals across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Packard
Among Census respondents with the surname Packard, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Packard 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 Packard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 8,137
- Two or more races3.3% · 304
- Black or African American2.9% · 266
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 260
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Packard
Packard 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
#3,733
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,494
+85 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Down 263 places
2020
#3,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,105
-389 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 3.05
Rank movement Down 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,470 | 9,409 | 3.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,733 | 9,494 | 3.22 | +85 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 263 places |
| 2020 | #3,803 | 9,105 | 3.05 | -389 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 70 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 Packard 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 | #3,733 | #3,803 | -1.9% |
| Count | 9,494 | 9,105 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.22 | 3.05 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Packard bearers went from 9,494 to 9,105 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,733 to #3,803.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Packard
FAQ
Packard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Packard?
Name Census estimates that about 10,441 living Americans carry the surname Packard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,828 residents.
How common is Packard?
Packard ranks #3,803 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,105 people with the surname Packard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,441), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Packard.
Has Packard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Packard went from 9,494 recorded bearers to 9,105. That is a decrease of 389 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,733 to #3,803.
What does the Census say about the background of Packard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Packard, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Packard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (8,137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Packard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Black (2.9%). 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 Packard (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 Packard mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a keeper or dweller of a park or enclosed forest. 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 Packard (3.05 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 share the surname Packard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.