2000
#55,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 350
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Panicker
A surname referring to someone prone to panic or anxiety.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 944 Americans carry the last name Panicker. That puts it at #30,403 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 363,087 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Panicker 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
944
1 in 363,087
Census rank
#30,403
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
823
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 823 bearers of the surname Panicker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30403rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Panicker, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Panicker
The surname Panicker has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the southern state of Kerala. It is a name that can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 9th to 12th centuries AD. The name is believed to be derived from the Malayalam word "panicker," which means "worker" or "laborer."
In the early days, the surname Panicker was primarily associated with members of the Nair community, a prominent Hindu caste in Kerala. The Nairs played a significant role in the region's history, serving as warriors, administrators, and landowners. The surname Panicker was likely adopted by those who worked as laborers or carried out various tasks for the Nair aristocracy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Panicker can be found in the Edakkazhiyur Copper Plate, a copper plate inscription dated to the 9th century AD. This ancient document mentions a person named "Panicker Iravi," who was a landowner and a member of the Nair community.
Throughout the centuries, the Panicker surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Veluthampi Dalawa, a Nair nobleman who lived in the 18th century and played a crucial role in the Kingdom of Travancore. He was a prominent military leader and served as the Dalawa (Prime Minister) of Travancore.
Another notable Panicker was Kunhunni Panicker, a 19th-century social reformer and educationist from Kerala. He was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions and promoting the education of women, which was a progressive step in that era.
In the world of literature, K. Panicker Ayyar (1885-1939) was a renowned Malayalam writer and playwright. His works, such as the play "Adukkalayil Ninnu Arangathekku" (From the Kitchen to the Stage), shed light on societal issues and the status of women.
The Panicker surname has also been prominent in the field of politics. E.K. Panicker (1888-1961) was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and a member of the Indian National Congress. He played an active role in the struggle for India's independence from British rule.
Another notable figure with the Panicker surname was V.R. Krishna Iyer (1915-2014), a renowned Indian jurist and a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He was known for his progressive and humanitarian approach to law, and his judgments have had a lasting impact on Indian jurisprudence.
While the Panicker surname has its roots in Kerala, it has since spread to other parts of India and around the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of Kerala.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Panicker
Among Census respondents with the surname Panicker, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Panicker 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 Panicker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 785
- White1.8% · 15
- Two or more races1.2% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.7% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Panicker
Panicker 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
#34,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 645
+295 bearers (+84.3%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 20,036 places
2020
#30,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 823
+178 bearers (+27.6%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 4,564 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,003 | 350 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,967 | 645 | 0.22 | +295 bearers (+84.3%) | Up 20,036 places |
| 2020 | #30,403 | 823 | 0.28 | +178 bearers (+27.6%) | Up 4,564 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 Panicker 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 | #34,967 | #30,403 | 13.1% |
| Count | 645 | 823 | 27.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.28 | 25.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Panicker bearers went from 645 to 823 (+27.6% change). The surname moved up 4,564 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,967 to #30,403.
FAQ
Panicker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Panicker?
Name Census estimates that about 944 living Americans carry the surname Panicker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 363,087 residents.
How common is Panicker?
Panicker ranks #30,403 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 823 people with the surname Panicker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (944), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Panicker.
Has Panicker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Panicker went from 645 recorded bearers to 823. That is an increase of 178 (+27.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,967 to #30,403.
What does the Census say about the background of Panicker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Panicker, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Panicker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (785 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Panicker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), White (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Panicker (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 Panicker mean?
A surname referring to someone prone to panic or anxiety. 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 Panicker (0.28 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 Panicker?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Panicker, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.