2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pantall
An English surname derived from a medieval nickname for someone slow or sluggish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Pantall. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pantall 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Pantall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantall, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pantall
The surname Pantall originated in England, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pant" and "halh," meaning a hollow or valley near a stream or river. This suggests that the name was likely borne by individuals who resided in such a geographical location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pantall surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire from 1230, where a Robert de Pantehall is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of the name over time.
During the 14th century, the Pantall surname appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which listed a John de Pantehale. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 mentioned a Thomas Pantehall, further solidifying the presence of this surname in different regions of England.
Notably, the Pantall surname was found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. This inclusion suggests that the name's origins can be traced back even further to the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Pantall surname throughout history are:
1. William Pantall (c. 1380 - 1445), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Hertfordshire.
2. John Pantall (1510 - 1578), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Arches, a prestigious ecclesiastical court in England.
3. Elizabeth Pantall (1625 - 1692), a respected midwife and herbalist known for her expertise in natural remedies.
4. Thomas Pantall (1745 - 1823), a successful merchant and philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in his hometown of Bristol.
5. Sir Robert Pantall (1820 - 1895), a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery during the Crimean War.
The Pantall surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Pantall Manor in Oxfordshire and Pantall Green in Hertfordshire, further solidifying its historical roots and geographic connections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pantall
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantall, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pantall 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 Pantall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pantall
Pantall 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,119 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,119 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,283 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 Pantall 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 | #139,228 | #143,511 | -3.1% |
| Count | 120 | 118 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pantall bearers went from 120 to 118 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,283 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #143,511.
FAQ
Pantall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pantall?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Pantall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Pantall?
Pantall ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Pantall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Pantall.
Has Pantall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pantall went from 120 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Pantall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantall, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Pantall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pantall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Pantall (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 Pantall mean?
An English surname derived from a medieval nickname for someone slow or sluggish. 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 Pantall (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 Americans have the surname Pantall?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.