2000
#3,322
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,877
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.66
Uncommon Last name
Pak
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 朴, meaning "simple, unadorned, or genuine."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,201 Americans carry the last name Pak. That puts it at #3,320 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,092 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pak 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 Pak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,092
Census rank
#3,320
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,640 bearers of the surname Pak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3320th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pak
The surname "Pak" is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, with roots tracing back to the ancient Sanskrit language. In Sanskrit, the word "pak" means "to cook" or "to mature," suggesting that the name may have been associated with professions related to cooking or agriculture in its early history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Pak" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document from the Mughal Empire. This text mentions a village called "Pakpattan" in present-day Pakistan, which may have been named after an individual with the surname "Pak."
During the medieval period, the "Pak" surname was particularly prevalent in the Punjab region, which spans parts of modern-day India and Pakistan. The name appeared in various historical documents, including land records and local chronicles, indicating its widespread use among certain communities in this area.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname "Pak" was Haji Pak Muhammad, a prominent Muslim scholar and religious leader from Multan, Pakistan. He was known for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and his efforts in promoting education and social reform.
Another notable individual with the "Pak" surname was Munshi Pak Chand, a 19th-century Indian writer and poet from Uttar Pradesh. He was renowned for his literary works in the Urdu and Braj Bhasha languages, and his poetry often explored themes of love, spirituality, and social commentary.
In the 20th century, one of the most influential figures with the "Pak" surname was Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Born in 1876 in Karachi, Jinnah played a pivotal role in the independence movement of British India and became the first Governor-General of the newly formed nation of Pakistan in 1947.
Another notable individual with the "Pak" surname was Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, a Pakistani writer, diplomat, and political figure. Born in 1915 in Calcutta, she was actively involved in the Pakistani independence movement and later served as Pakistan's ambassador to several countries, including Morocco and Spain.
The surname "Pak" has also been associated with various place names in South Asia, such as Pakpattan in Pakistan and Pakur in India. These place names may have derived from individuals with the "Pak" surname who settled in those areas or played significant roles in their history.
While the surname "Pak" has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of South Asia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pak
Among Census respondents with the surname Pak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pak 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 Pak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.8% · 9,560
- White4.8% · 508
- Two or more races3.9% · 420
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 125
- Black or African American0.3% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pak
Pak 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
#3,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,846
+969 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 3.68
Rank movement Up 14 places
2020
#3,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,640
-206 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 3.56
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,322 | 9,877 | 3.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,308 | 10,846 | 3.68 | +969 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 14 places |
| 2020 | #3,320 | 10,640 | 3.56 | -206 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12 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 Pak 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 | #3,308 | #3,320 | -0.4% |
| Count | 10,846 | 10,640 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.68 | 3.56 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pak bearers went from 10,846 to 10,640 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,308 to #3,320.
FAQ
Pak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pak?
Name Census estimates that about 12,201 living Americans carry the surname Pak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,092 residents.
How common is Pak?
Pak ranks #3,320 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.56 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 10,640 people with the surname Pak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,201), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.56 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 Pak.
Has Pak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pak went from 10,846 recorded bearers to 10,640. That is a decrease of 206 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,308 to #3,320.
What does the Census say about the background of Pak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (9,560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.8%), White (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Pak (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 Pak mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 朴, meaning "simple, unadorned, or genuine." 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 Pak (3.56 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 people have the surname Pak?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.