2000
#27,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 817
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Very Rare Last name
Pam
An English surname derived from the Old French paume, meaning "palm of the hand".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 900 Americans carry the last name Pam. That puts it at #31,582 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 380,838 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pam 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
900
1 in 380,838
Census rank
#31,582
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
785
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 785 bearers of the surname Pam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31582nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pam, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pam
The surname "PAM" is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "paume," which means "palm of the hand." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with their hands, such as a craftsman or manual laborer.
The earliest known records of the surname "PAM" date back to the 13th century in the Normandy region of northern France. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this name was Jean Pam, a carpenter who lived in the village of Rouen in the late 1200s.
By the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Paumes" and "Paume," had started to appear in historical records across other parts of France, including Paris and Bordeaux. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions, perhaps due to migration or the movement of skilled workers.
In the 15th century, the surname "PAM" was found in the English county of Sussex, suggesting that some bearers of the name had migrated from France to England during this time period. One notable individual from this era was William Pam, a merchant who lived in the town of Hastings in the late 1400s.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the name became more standardized as "PAM," and it continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the southern counties. One prominent individual from this era was Sir John Pam (1570-1646), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Arundel.
In the 18th century, the surname "PAM" began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands. This may have been due to the migration of individuals or families with French roots seeking new opportunities in these regions.
Some notable figures throughout history who bore the surname "PAM" include:
1. Jacques Pam (c. 1620-1685), a French painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraiture.
2. Frederica Pam (1741-1809), a German novelist and playwright whose works explored social issues and gender roles.
3. Robert Pam (1792-1867), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became an Admiral in the Royal Navy.
4. Louis Pam (1839-1912), a Dutch astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics.
5. Emily Pam (1875-1957), an American suffragist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reforms in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pam
Among Census respondents with the surname Pam, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pam 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 Pam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American45.2% · 355
- White31.8% · 250
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.7% · 131
- Two or more races4.5% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pam
Pam 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
#29,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 806
-11 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 1,613 places
2020
#31,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 785
-21 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 2,248 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,721 | 817 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,334 | 806 | 0.27 | -11 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 1,613 places |
| 2020 | #31,582 | 785 | 0.26 | -21 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 2,248 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 Pam 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 | #29,334 | #31,582 | -7.7% |
| Count | 806 | 785 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.26 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pam bearers went from 806 to 785 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 2,248 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,334 to #31,582.
FAQ
Pam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pam?
Name Census estimates that about 900 living Americans carry the surname Pam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 380,838 residents.
How common is Pam?
Pam ranks #31,582 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 785 people with the surname Pam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (900), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Pam.
Has Pam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pam went from 806 recorded bearers to 785. That is a decrease of 21 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,334 to #31,582.
What does the Census say about the background of Pam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pam, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.2% (355 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (45.2%), White (31.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (16.7%). 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 Pam (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 Pam mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French paume, meaning "palm of the hand". 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 Pam (0.26 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 share the surname Pam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.