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

Páez, 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 Páez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Páez in America

Páez is the 3420th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Páez surname appeared 10,433 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Páez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Páez 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 Páez

The surname Paez originated in Spain, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Spanish word "paz," meaning "peace," which was likely a nickname or a reference to a peaceful individual or location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Paez can be found in the 13th-century Libro de la Montería, a medieval hunting treatise written during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This suggests that the name had already established itself in Spain by that time.

Paez may also have been influenced by the Basque name "Patxi," which is a diminutive form of the name Francisco. The region of Navarre, located in northern Spain and southern France, has a strong Basque cultural influence, and it is possible that the name Paez was adopted or adapted in this area.

In the 15th century, the Spanish explorer and conquistador Alonso de Paez played a significant role in the exploration and conquest of South America. Born around 1470 in Seville, Spain, he accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expedition to Peru and was among the first Europeans to set foot in the Inca Empire.

Another notable figure with the surname Paez was the Venezuelan military leader José Antonio Paez, who was born in 1790 and played a crucial role in the Venezuelan War of Independence against Spanish rule. He later served as the first president of Venezuela from 1831 to 1835.

In the 19th century, the Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco Paez Muñoz, born in 1817 in Antequera, gained recognition for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from his native Andalusia region.

The name Paez also found its way to Italy, where the Italian businessman and philanthropist Gianni Paez, born in 1934 in Milan, made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and cultural institutions.

Additionally, the Portuguese writer and journalist Rodrigo Paez de Andrade, born in 1635 in Lisbon, was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time, known for his satirical works and critiques of social and political issues.

While the surname Paez has its roots in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula, it has spread to various parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange, carrying with it a rich history and diverse connotations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Páez

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

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

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

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