2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pacy
A surname derived from a nickname meaning "swift" or "agile."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Pacy. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pacy 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 Pacy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Pacy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pacy
The surname Pacy is of English origin, and its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name in Normandy, France, where it was likely derived from the Old French word "pacy," meaning "peaceful" or "tranquil." This place name was likely given to a hamlet or village known for its serene and peaceful surroundings.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Pacy date back to the 12th century, with mentions found in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire and the Feet of Fines for Essex. These early records suggest that the name was initially concentrated in the southern regions of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Essex, and Kent.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Pacy was Robert de Pacy, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1201. Another notable figure was William Pacy, a landowner in Gloucestershire, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1204.
The surname Pacy has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Pacy End in Hertfordshire and Pacy's Farm in Kent. These place names likely derived from the same Old French root as the surname, further solidifying its connection to the concept of peacefulness and tranquility.
In the 14th century, the surname Pacy appeared in the renowned Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This inclusion suggests that the Pacy family had established a presence and held land in various parts of the country by this time.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Pacy throughout history include Sir John Pacy (1510-1588), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Richard Pacy (1482-1548), a Catholic priest and theologian who played a significant role in the English Reformation.
Other individuals with the surname Pacy include:
1. Thomas Pacy (1697-1759), an English architect and surveyor known for his work on various churches and estates in Gloucestershire.
2. William Pacy (1725-1798), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament for Taunton.
3. Mary Pacy (1868-1942), an English author and playwright who wrote several novels and plays in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
4. John Pacy (1884-1956), an Australian cricketer who played for the national team in the early 1900s and is considered one of the pioneers of the sport in his country.
5. Alice Pacy (1920-2005), a British artist and sculptor known for her abstract works and public art installations in various cities across the United Kingdom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pacy
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pacy 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 Pacy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pacy
Pacy 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,615 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 14,615 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,537 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 Pacy 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 | #150,452 | #152,989 | -1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 105 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pacy bearers went from 109 to 105 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,537 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,989.
FAQ
Pacy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pacy?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Pacy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Pacy?
Pacy ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Pacy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Pacy.
Has Pacy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pacy went from 109 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Pacy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pacy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Pacy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pacy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Pacy (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 Pacy mean?
A surname derived from a nickname meaning "swift" or "agile." 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 Pacy (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 Pacy?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Pacy at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.