Find out how popular the last name Papanicolaou is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Papanicolaou.

Papanicolaou, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Papanicolaou surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Papanicolaou in America

Papanicolaou is the 103181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Papanicolaou surname appeared 174 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Papanicolaou.

We can also compare 2010 data for Papanicolaou to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Papanicolaou

The surname Papanicolaou originates from Greece and has its roots in the Greek language. It is a patronymic name, meaning it is derived from the father's name. "Papas" translates to "priest" or "father," while "Nikolaos" is a common Greek name derived from the name Nicholas.

The earliest recorded instances of the Papanicolaou name can be traced back to the Byzantine Empire, where it was commonly used among Greek Orthodox clergy and their families. It is believed that the name was initially given to the sons of priests, indicating their father's occupation and lineage.

During the Ottoman rule in Greece, which lasted from the 15th to the early 19th century, the Papanicolaou name became more widespread as Greek families sought to preserve their cultural and religious identities. The name was often associated with Greek communities in regions such as Thessaly, Macedonia, and the Peloponnese.

One notable figure bearing the Papanicolaou name was Georgios Papanicolaou (1883-1962), a Greek pioneer in cytology and the inventor of the Pap test, a revolutionary cervical cancer screening method. His work has saved countless lives and has had a profound impact on women's healthcare worldwide.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Marcos Papanicolaou (1888-1962), a Greek-American businessman and philanthropist. He was instrumental in establishing the Papanicolaou Cancer Research Institute at the University of Miami, contributing significantly to cancer research and treatment.

In the realm of politics, Andonis Papanicolaou (1916-1994) was a Greek politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece from 1962 to 1963. He played a crucial role in shaping Greece's foreign policy during a turbulent period in the country's history.

The Papanicolaou name has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature. Evangelos Papanicolaou (1928-2010) was a renowned Greek poet and translator, whose works explored themes of existentialism and the human condition.

Lastly, Demetrios Papanicolaou (1949-2020) was a distinguished Greek-American mathematician and educator. He made significant contributions to the field of partial differential equations and was a respected professor at various universities in the United States.

While the Papanicolaou name has its roots in Greece, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Greek migration and diaspora communities. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe, carrying on the legacy of this historic Greek name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Papanicolaou

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Papanicolaou.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Papanicolaou was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Papanicolaou has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Papanicolaou was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Papanicolaou, please contact us.

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