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

Papas, 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 Papas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Papas in America

Papas is the 20687th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Papas surname appeared 1,279 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 Papas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Papas 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 Papas

The surname Papas is of Greek origin and can be traced back to the early Byzantine period in the 4th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "papas," which means "father" or "priest." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to clergymen or religious leaders.

In the Byzantine Empire, the term "papas" was often used as a respectful form of address for members of the clergy, particularly for priests and bishops. It is possible that the surname Papas emerged as a way to identify individuals associated with the church or those who held positions of spiritual authority.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Papas can be found in a manuscript from the 9th century, which mentions a monk named Papas living in a monastery on the island of Patmos. This suggests that the name was already in use during the medieval period.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Papas was Georgios Papas, a prominent Byzantine scholar and theologian who lived in the 11th century. He was known for his works on theology and philosophy, and his writings contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of the time.

In the 13th century, there are records of a Venetian merchant named Antonio Papas who traded extensively in the Mediterranean region. His business dealings and travels may have played a role in spreading the surname across different parts of the Greek-speaking world.

During the Ottoman period, the surname Papas continued to be used among the Greek population living in the territories of the Ottoman Empire. One notable figure from this era was Athanasios Papas, a Greek scholar and educator who lived in the 16th century. He was instrumental in establishing schools and promoting education among the Greek communities under Ottoman rule.

As the centuries passed, the surname Papas spread to various regions where Greek communities were present, including parts of Asia Minor, the Aegean islands, and the Greek mainland. Prominent individuals with this surname included Ioannis Papas, a Greek revolutionary who fought against Ottoman rule in the 19th century, and Konstantinos Papas, a renowned Greek painter and artist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname Papas has its roots in the Greek-speaking world, it has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities and cultures over time, reflecting the historical migrations and interactions between different communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Papas

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

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 Papas 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 Papas 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 Papas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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