2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pahe
Indian surname believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'paath' meaning student or scholar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Pahe. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pahe 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Pahe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pahe, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and White (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pahe
The surname PAHE is believed to have its origins in central Europe, specifically in the region now known as Germany. It is thought to have originated sometime around the 12th or 13th century, likely derived from the Old German word "pahe," which referred to a type of small river or stream.
One of the earliest known references to the name PAHE can be found in a collection of documents from the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dating back to the late 13th century. These records mention a family with the surname PAHE, who were likely residents of the town or the surrounding rural areas.
During the Middle Ages, many surnames were derived from geographic features or occupations, and it is possible that the name PAHE was initially given to someone who lived near or worked in proximity to a small stream or river. It may have also been used as a descriptive name for someone who lived in an area with numerous small waterways.
As the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread in Europe, the name PAHE likely spread beyond its initial region of origin. By the 15th century, there are records of individuals with the surname PAHE residing in various parts of what is now modern-day Germany, as well as neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland.
One notable individual with the surname PAHE was Johann PAHE, a German Protestant theologian and reformer who lived from 1483 to 1552. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Friedrich PAHE, a German botanist and naturalist who lived from 1796 to 1865. He made important contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and was known for his extensive herbarium collection.
In the 19th century, the surname PAHE was also found among German immigrants who settled in various parts of the United States and other countries. One example is Wilhelm PAHE, a German-American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1821 to 1898 and established several successful enterprises in New York City.
While the surname PAHE is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in central Europe, where it was likely derived from a geographic or occupational reference to small rivers or streams.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pahe
Among Census respondents with the surname Pahe, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and White (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pahe 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 Pahe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native78.5% · 95
- Two or more races13.2% · 16
- White7.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pahe
Pahe 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
-15 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,266 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+12 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,143 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 23,266 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 9,143 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 Pahe 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 | #141,309 | 6.1% |
| Count | 109 | 121 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pahe bearers went from 109 to 121 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 9,143 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #141,309.
FAQ
Pahe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pahe?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Pahe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Pahe?
Pahe ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Pahe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Pahe.
Has Pahe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pahe went from 109 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 12 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Pahe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pahe, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and White (7.4%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pahe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pahe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (78.5%), Two or More Races (13.2%), White (7.4%). 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 Pahe (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 Pahe mean?
Indian surname believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'paath' meaning student or scholar. 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 Pahe (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 Pahe?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.