2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Papamichael
A Greek surname denoting "son of a priest" or "son of Michael the priest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Papamichael. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Papamichael 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Papamichael in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Papamichael, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Papamichael
The surname Papamichael has its origins in Greece, dating back to the Byzantine period. The name is derived from the Greek words "papas," meaning priest, and "Michail," the Greek form of the name Michael. It is believed that the name was originally given to individuals who were the sons of a priest named Michael, or who served in the clergy under a priest of that name.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Papamichael can be found in a manuscript from the 14th century, which mentions a monk bearing this name living in a monastery on the island of Crete. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time, likely originating in the preceding centuries.
The name Papamichael has been associated with various notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, a scholar and theologian named Georgios Papamichael (1510-1586) gained recognition for his works on the interpretation of the Bible and the defense of Orthodox Christian doctrine.
In the 18th century, a Greek merchant and philanthropist named Demetrios Papamichael (1732-1802) made significant contributions to the development of education and cultural institutions in his native city of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey).
Another prominent figure was Ioannis Papamichael (1856-1935), a Greek politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, Nikolaos Papamichael (1917-2004) was a notable Greek film director and screenwriter, known for his work in the Greek cinema industry during the mid-20th century.
Additionally, the surname Papamichael has been associated with various place names in Greece, particularly in regions where the name was historically concentrated, such as the islands of Crete and Rhodes, as well as parts of mainland Greece.
Overall, the surname Papamichael has a rich history and cultural significance in Greece, tracing its roots back to the Byzantine era and the tradition of clerical service and scholarship within the Orthodox Christian Church.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Papamichael
Among Census respondents with the surname Papamichael, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Papamichael 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 Papamichael surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 98
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Papamichael
Papamichael 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+13 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,108 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,419 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 4,108 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,419 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 Papamichael 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 | #145,220 | #151,639 | -4.4% |
| Count | 114 | 107 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Papamichael bearers went from 114 to 107 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,419 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #151,639.
FAQ
Papamichael surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Papamichael?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Papamichael. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Papamichael?
Papamichael ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Papamichael. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Papamichael.
Has Papamichael become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Papamichael went from 114 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Papamichael?
Among Census respondents with the surname Papamichael, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Papamichael in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Papamichael appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Papamichael (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 Papamichael mean?
A Greek surname denoting "son of a priest" or "son of Michael the priest". 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 Papamichael (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 common is the surname Papamichael?
See how common the surname Papamichael is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.