2000
#90,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 189
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Panama
A topographic surname indicating an association with the location Panama.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 355 Americans carry the last name Panama. That puts it at #68,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 965,505 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Panama 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
355
1 in 965,505
Census rank
#68,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
310
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 310 bearers of the surname Panama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Panama, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.4%) and Black (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Panama
The surname Panama originated in the country of Panama, located in Central America. It is believed to have its roots in the indigenous Cueva language, which was spoken by the Cueva people who inhabited the region before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.
The name Panama is thought to be derived from the Cueva word "Panamá," which means "abundant fish" or "place of many fish." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a location known for its plentiful fishing resources.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Panama can be found in the writings of the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who reached the Pacific Ocean in 1513 and claimed the region for Spain. Balboa referred to the area as "Panamá" in his reports, likely adopting the name from the local inhabitants.
In the 16th century, the Spanish established the settlement of Panama City, which quickly became an important trading hub and gateway to the Pacific Ocean. The name Panama became closely associated with this strategic location and its role in the Spanish colonial empire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Panama. One of the earliest was Juan de Panama, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions in Mexico in the early 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Francisco de Panama, a Spanish navigator and cartographer who produced some of the earliest detailed maps of the Panama region in the late 16th century.
In the 19th century, José de Obaldía Panama was a prominent Panamanian politician and diplomat who played a crucial role in the country's independence from Colombia in 1903.
During the 20th century, Gilberto Arias Panama was a renowned Panamanian artist known for his vibrant paintings depicting the culture and landscapes of his homeland.
More recently, Marcelino Madrid Panama was a Panamanian writer and poet who gained recognition for his works exploring themes of identity, heritage, and the complexities of modern life in Panama.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Panama
Among Census respondents with the surname Panama, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.4%) and Black (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Panama 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 Panama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino74.8% · 232
- White9.4% · 29
- Black or African American7.1% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.1% · 19
- Two or more races2.6% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Panama
Panama 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
#65,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
+111 bearers (+58.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 24,688 places
2020
#68,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 310
+10 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 2,427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #90,652 | 189 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65,964 | 300 | 0.10 | +111 bearers (+58.7%) | Up 24,688 places |
| 2020 | #68,391 | 310 | 0.10 | +10 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 2,427 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 Panama 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 | #65,964 | #68,391 | -3.7% |
| Count | 300 | 310 | 3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Panama bearers went from 300 to 310 (+3.3% change). The surname moved down 2,427 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,964 to #68,391.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Panama
FAQ
Panama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Panama?
Name Census estimates that about 355 living Americans carry the surname Panama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 965,505 residents.
How common is Panama?
Panama ranks #68,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 310 people with the surname Panama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Panama.
Has Panama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Panama went from 300 recorded bearers to 310. That is an increase of 10 (+3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #65,964 to #68,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Panama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Panama, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.4%) and Black (7.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Panama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (232 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Panama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (74.8%), White (9.4%), Black (7.1%). 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 Panama (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 Panama mean?
A topographic surname indicating an association with the location Panama. 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 Panama (0.10 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 Panama?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.