2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Pacurar
A surname possibly of Romanian origin indicating someone associated with gunpowder or ammunition.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Pacurar. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pacurar 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Pacurar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacurar, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pacurar
The surname Pacurar is of Romanian origin, tracing its roots back to the 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Romanian word "păcurar," which refers to a shepherd or a person who tends to sheep. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in pastoral activities, particularly in the rural regions of Romania.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Pacurar can be found in the church records of the Transylvanian village of Sălișca, dating back to the late 17th century. These records mention several individuals with the surname Pacurar, indicating that the name was already well-established in the area at that time.
In the 19th century, the Pacurar name gained prominence when Ioan Pacurar (1828-1892), a Romanian priest and writer, published several works on religion and philosophy. His writings played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual development of the region.
Another notable figure was Gheorghe Pacurar (1874-1951), a Romanian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Romanian Parliament and actively participated in the movement for national emancipation and the unification of Transylvania with Romania.
In the 20th century, the Pacurar family produced several prominent academics and scholars. One such individual was Valeriu Pacurar (1919-2005), a renowned linguist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of the Romanian language and its dialects.
Another notable bearer of the Pacurar name was Mihai Pacurar (1932-2008), a celebrated artist and sculptor whose works were widely exhibited both in Romania and internationally. His sculptures often drew inspiration from traditional Romanian folk art and culture.
As the Pacurar family spread throughout Romania and beyond, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Păcuraru, Păcurari, and Păcurăreanu, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the influence of other languages.
While the Pacurar surname may not have been extensively documented in major historical records or manuscripts, its presence in various church and local records, as well as the achievements of its bearers, have cemented its place in the rich cultural tapestry of Romania.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pacurar
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacurar, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pacurar 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 Pacurar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 105
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pacurar
Pacurar appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,073 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 8,073 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 Pacurar 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 | #159,712 | #151,639 | 5.1% |
| Count | 101 | 107 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pacurar bearers went from 101 to 107 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 8,073 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #151,639.
FAQ
Pacurar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pacurar?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Pacurar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Pacurar?
Pacurar ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Pacurar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Pacurar.
Has Pacurar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pacurar went from 101 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 6 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Pacurar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacurar, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Pacurar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pacurar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Black (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Pacurar (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 Pacurar mean?
A surname possibly of Romanian origin indicating someone associated with gunpowder or ammunition. 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 Pacurar (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 many Americans have the surname Pacurar?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.