Find out how popular the last name Pan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pan.

Pan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pan in America

Pan is the 2847th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pan surname appeared 12,664 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Pan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pan

The surname PAN is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "panne," meaning a pan or a shallow vessel. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with pans or as a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of pans.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are a few entries that may be early examples of the name PAN, such as "Panne" and "Panna." However, it's difficult to determine if these were true surnames or just descriptive terms.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PAN is in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mention a "William Panne." Another early example is from the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 1203, which reference a "Robert Panne."

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, including "le Panne," "atte Panne," and "Panne." These variations suggest that the name was initially used as a descriptive term before becoming a hereditary surname.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname PAN began to spread across England, with records showing bearers in counties like Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. In the 16th century, the name was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled "Pane" or "Payne."

Notable historical figures with the surname PAN include:

1. Sir Ralph Pan (c. 1400-1470), a wealthy English merchant and landowner from Somerset.
2. John Pan (fl. 1450-1480), an English clergyman and author of theological works.
3. William Pan (c. 1530-1592), a Scottish politician and landowner in Fife.
4. Thomas Pan (c. 1560-1620), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance period.
5. Andrew Pan (1659-1718), a Scottish minister and theologian known for his sermons and writings.

The surname PAN has also been associated with various place names throughout Britain, such as Panfield in Essex, Panborough in Buckinghamshire, and Pandy in Wales, which may have influenced the name's development or been influenced by it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pan, please contact us.

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