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

Packer, 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 Packer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Packer in America

Packer is the 3933rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Packer surname appeared 9,048 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Packer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Packer 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 Packer

The surname Packer is of English origin, derived from the occupation of packing goods for transportation or storage. The name first emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 13th century, when the profession of packing and transporting goods became more prevalent with the growth of trade and commerce.

In its earliest form, the name was recorded as "le Pakkere" or "le Packere" in medieval records, reflecting the Old English word "paccan" meaning "to pack." The name was likely first adopted as a descriptive nickname for someone whose occupation involved packing goods, and later became a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William le Packere, mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable information about individuals and their occupations during that period.

The Packer surname can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Packer's Field and Packer's Green, which may have been associated with areas where packers or carriers of goods lived or worked.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where John Packer and Robert Packer were listed as taxpayers. This record provides evidence of the surname's early presence in the northern English county of Yorkshire.

During the 16th century, the Packer surname gained prominence in Essex, particularly in the town of Waltham Abbey, where a family of Packers was established. One notable member was Sir Samuel Packer (1527-1590), a successful merchant and benefactor who contributed to the construction of the town's almshouses.

Other notable individuals with the surname Packer include:

1. Thomas Packer (1668-1725), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.
2. John Packer (1670-1743), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Shoreham.
3. Nathaniel Packer (1716-1787), an American settler and pioneer who founded Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and served as a colonel during the American Revolutionary War.
4. Asa Packer (1805-1879), an American industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
5. Billy Packer (1940-2023), an American basketball analyst and commentator who worked for various networks, including CBS Sports and ESPN.

While the Packer surname is found worldwide today, its origins can be traced back to the occupational and geographical roots in medieval England, where it emerged as a designation for those involved in the packing and transportation of goods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Packer

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

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 Packer 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 Packer 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 Packer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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