2000
#4,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,711
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.86
Uncommon Last name
Paez
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Pelayo, which possibly means "he who stands out" or "remarkable".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,445 Americans carry the last name Paez. That puts it at #3,248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,542 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paez 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
12K
1 in 27,542
Census rank
#3,248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,853 bearers of the surname Paez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paez
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paez
Among Census respondents with the surname Paez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Paez 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 Paez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.1% · 9,775
- White6.1% · 660
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 318
- Two or more races0.6% · 61
- Black or African American0.3% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paez
Paez 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
#3,420
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,433
+2,722 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 3.54
Rank movement Up 830 places
2020
#3,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,853
+420 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 3.63
Rank movement Up 172 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,250 | 7,711 | 2.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,420 | 10,433 | 3.54 | +2,722 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 830 places |
| 2020 | #3,248 | 10,853 | 3.63 | +420 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 172 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 Paez 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 | #3,420 | #3,248 | 5.0% |
| Count | 10,433 | 10,853 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.54 | 3.63 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paez bearers went from 10,433 to 10,853 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 172 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,420 to #3,248.
FAQ
Paez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paez?
Name Census estimates that about 12,445 living Americans carry the surname Paez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,542 residents.
How common is Paez?
Paez ranks #3,248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,853 people with the surname Paez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,445), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Paez.
Has Paez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paez went from 10,433 recorded bearers to 10,853. That is an increase of 420 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,420 to #3,248.
What does the Census say about the background of Paez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Paez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (9,775 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.1%), White (6.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Paez (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 Paez mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Pelayo, which possibly means "he who stands out" or "remarkable". 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 Paez (3.63 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 Paez?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.