2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pancoe
A surname possibly derived from the French term "paon" meaning peacock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Pancoe. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pancoe 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Pancoe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pancoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pancoe
The surname Pancoe has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pænn" meaning a pan or vessel, and "cocc" meaning a cook or someone who prepared meals. This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a cook or chef, specifically one who used pans or vessels in their trade.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often adopted to distinguish individuals, particularly in occupational contexts. The earliest recorded instance of the name Pancoe can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it appears as "Robert Pancok".
In the 14th century, records show variations of the name such as "Pancok" and "Pancok" in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, respectively. These early spellings provide insight into the evolution of the surname over time.
One notable individual bearing the Pancoe surname was Sir John Pancoe, a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London in the late 15th century. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1478 and was knighted by King Edward IV for his services to the Crown.
Another historically significant figure was William Pancoe (1535-1612), a renowned English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. He was also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1604 to 1608.
In the 17th century, the Pancoe surname can be found in various parish records across England. One notable entry is that of Thomas Pancoe, who was baptized in the village of Stoke-on-Trent in 1658.
The name Pancoe has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Pancoe Hill in Derbyshire and Pancoe Farm in Oxfordshire. These locations may have derived their names from individuals bearing the Pancoe surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the Pancoe surname include Robert Pancoe (1776-1853), a prominent English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, and Elizabeth Pancoe (1820-1899), a celebrated English author and poet whose works were widely acclaimed during the Victorian era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pancoe
Among Census respondents with the surname Pancoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pancoe 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 Pancoe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 100
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pancoe
Pancoe 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-18 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 27,989 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 27,989 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 3,162 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 Pancoe 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 | #158,432 | #155,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 102 | 101 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pancoe bearers went from 102 to 101 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #155,270.
FAQ
Pancoe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pancoe?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Pancoe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Pancoe?
Pancoe ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Pancoe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Pancoe.
Has Pancoe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pancoe went from 102 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Pancoe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pancoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pancoe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pancoe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Pancoe (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 Pancoe mean?
A surname possibly derived from the French term "paon" meaning peacock. 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 Pancoe (0.03 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 Pancoe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.