2000
#3,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.07
Rare Last name
Pagano
An Italian surname derived from the Latin "paganus," meaning "villager," "rustic," or "civilian," as opposed to a military man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,004 Americans carry the last name Pagano. That puts it at #4,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,067 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pagano 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 Pagano with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 38,067
Census rank
#4,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,852 bearers of the surname Pagano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pagano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pagano
The surname Pagano originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "paganus," meaning "villager" or "peasant." The name was initially given as a nickname to someone who lived in a rural area or had a rustic appearance.
In the 11th century, the name Pagano appeared in historical records from the southern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Naples and Salerno. It was common among families living in small villages and working as farmers or agricultural laborers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pagano can be found in a manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of Montecassino, dated around 1075. The document mentions a certain "Pagano de Capua," who was likely a landowner or noble from the city of Capua.
During the 13th century, the surname spread to other parts of Italy, such as Tuscany and Umbria. In the city of Perugia, there are records of a prominent family named Pagano, which included a notable jurist and diplomat, Pellegrino Pagano (1230-1298).
Another notable bearer of the surname was the Italian philosopher and jurist Mario Pagano (1748-1799), who played a significant role in the Neapolitan Republic of 1799. He was a proponent of Enlightenment ideals and advocated for political and social reforms.
In the 16th century, the surname Pagano was also found in the region of Calabria, where the town of Pagano (now known as Palermiti) was named after a family bearing this surname.
Other prominent individuals with the surname Pagano include:
1. Girolamo Pagano (1619-1678), an Italian painter and architect from Naples.
2. Vincenzo Pagano (1772-1847), an Italian composer and music teacher from Naples.
3. Emanuele Pagano (1796-1874), an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Palermo.
4. Nicola Pagano (1807-1891), an Italian painter and printmaker from Naples.
5. Giuseppe Pagano (1896-1945), an Italian architect and urban planner from Naples.
The surname Pagano has remained prevalent in various regions of Italy, particularly in the southern regions, where it originated. While its meaning has evolved over time, it still carries the connotation of a rural or rustic background.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pagano
Among Census respondents with the surname Pagano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pagano 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 Pagano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 7,127
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 477
- Two or more races2.1% · 168
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 43
- Black or African American0.4% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pagano
Pagano 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
#4,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,465
+193 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 242 places
2020
#4,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,852
-613 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,944 | 8,272 | 3.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,186 | 8,465 | 2.87 | +193 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 242 places |
| 2020 | #4,365 | 7,852 | 2.63 | -613 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 179 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 Pagano 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 | #4,186 | #4,365 | -4.3% |
| Count | 8,465 | 7,852 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.87 | 2.63 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pagano bearers went from 8,465 to 7,852 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,186 to #4,365.
FAQ
Pagano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pagano?
Name Census estimates that about 9,004 living Americans carry the surname Pagano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,067 residents.
How common is Pagano?
Pagano ranks #4,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,852 people with the surname Pagano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Pagano.
Has Pagano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pagano went from 8,465 recorded bearers to 7,852. That is a decrease of 613 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,186 to #4,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Pagano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pagano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Pagano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (7,127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pagano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Pagano (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 Pagano mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin "paganus," meaning "villager," "rustic," or "civilian," as opposed to a military man. 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 Pagano (2.63 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 Pagano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.