2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pandora
A surname derived from the mythological figure Pandora, known for unleashing misfortunes into the world.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Pandora. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pandora 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Pandora in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pandora, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pandora
The surname PANDORA is of Greek origin, derived from the word "Pandora" which means "all-gifted" or "giver of all gifts" in Greek mythology. It was originally a personal name used in ancient Greece, but over time, it became a surname as well.
This surname is believed to have originated in the Greek islands and mainland regions during the Byzantine era, between the 5th and 15th centuries. The earliest recorded instances of the surname PANDORA can be traced back to the 11th century, appearing in various historical records and manuscripts from the Byzantine Empire.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname PANDORA was Ioannis Pandora, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) during the 12th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature and philosophy.
In the 14th century, the surname PANDORA was also found in the Italian city-states, particularly in Venice and Genoa, where Greek merchants and refugees had settled. Notable individuals from this period include Marco Pandora, a Venetian trader who established trade routes with the Byzantine Empire, and Andrea Pandora, a Genoese navigator who explored the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
During the Renaissance period, the surname PANDORA gained prominence in various parts of Europe, particularly in areas with strong Greek cultural influence. One notable figure was Theodoros Pandora, a Greek humanist and scholar who lived in Florence, Italy, in the 15th century. He played a significant role in the revival of Greek learning and the dissemination of classical Greek literature in the West.
In the 17th century, the PANDORA surname also appeared in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, where Greek communities thrived. One prominent individual was Konstantinos Pandora, a Greek Orthodox priest and scholar who lived in Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey) and made significant contributions to the preservation of Greek language and culture.
Throughout history, other notable individuals with the surname PANDORA include Georgios Pandora, a Greek revolutionary who fought for independence during the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century, and Eleni Pandora, a Greek painter and artist who gained recognition for her vibrant depictions of Greek folk life in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pandora
Among Census respondents with the surname Pandora, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pandora 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 Pandora surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 6
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pandora
Pandora 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,273 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 19,273 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,457 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 Pandora 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 | #151,532 | #152,989 | -1.0% |
| Count | 108 | 105 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pandora bearers went from 108 to 105 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,989.
FAQ
Pandora surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pandora?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Pandora. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Pandora?
Pandora ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Pandora. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Pandora.
Has Pandora become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pandora went from 108 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Pandora?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pandora, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pandora in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pandora appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Pandora (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 Pandora mean?
A surname derived from the mythological figure Pandora, known for unleashing misfortunes into the world. 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 Pandora (0.04 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 are called Pandora?
Find out how common the surname Pandora is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.