2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Packey
A variant spelling of the surname "Packie" referring to a small or petty person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Packey. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Packey 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Packey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Packey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Packey
The surname Packey has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the early 13th century. The name is believed to derive from the Old English word "pacca," which referred to a small bundle or pack. It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who carried packs or bundles for a living, such as a peddler or merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Packey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1230, where a Walter Packey is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a John Packey as a landowner in the county.
During the 14th century, the name Packey began to spread to other parts of England, with variations in spelling emerging. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a Thomas Pakkye is listed, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a Robert Pakky.
One notable historical figure bearing the Packey surname was Sir William Packey, who lived in the late 15th century and served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VII. Another prominent individual was John Packey, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who was born in 1525 and left a significant legacy to the city upon his death in 1602.
In the 16th century, the name Packey also appears to have been connected with certain place names in England. For example, there was a village called Packeyfield in Gloucestershire, which may have derived its name from a local landowner with the surname Packey.
Other individuals of note with the Packey surname include:
1. Richard Packey (c. 1580-1648), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
2. Elizabeth Packey (1635-1701), a Quaker activist and writer known for her advocacy of women's rights.
3. Thomas Packey (1720-1789), a successful merchant and landowner in Lincolnshire.
4. Samuel Packey (1792-1872), a prominent abolitionist and philanthropist in Philadelphia.
5. Mary Packey (1845-1923), a British artist known for her landscape paintings.
While the surname Packey was once more prevalent in certain regions of England, it has since become relatively uncommon, though it continues to be carried by various families around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Packey
Among Census respondents with the surname Packey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Packey 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 Packey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Packey
Packey 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-16 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,091 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 22,091 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 361 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 Packey 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 | #143,149 | #142,788 | 0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 119 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Packey bearers went from 116 to 119 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 361 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #142,788.
FAQ
Packey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Packey?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Packey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Packey?
Packey ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Packey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Packey.
Has Packey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Packey went from 116 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Packey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Packey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Packey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Packey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Packey (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 Packey mean?
A variant spelling of the surname "Packie" referring to a small or petty person. 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 Packey (0.04 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 common is the surname Packey?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Packey, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.