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

Pappas, 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 Pappas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pappas in America

Pappas is the 2198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pappas surname appeared 16,559 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Pappas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pappas 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 Pappas

The surname Pappas originated from Greece and is derived from the Greek word "pappas," which means "priest" or "father." It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who served as priests or had a close association with the clergy.

In the early centuries of Christianity, the Greek Orthodox Church played a significant role in preserving and spreading the faith throughout the Byzantine Empire. During this period, the name Pappas became prevalent among members of the clergy and their families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pappas can be found in the Byzantine manuscript "Codex Sinaiticus," dated to the 4th century AD. This ancient manuscript contains portions of the Greek Bible and is believed to have been written by a scribe named Pappas.

In the 9th century, a Greek monk named Pappas is mentioned in the hagiography of Saint Methodius, one of the founders of the Cyrillic alphabet. This account suggests that the name Pappas was already well-established among the clergy during that time.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule over Greece, from the 15th to the 19th centuries, many Greek families adopted surnames based on their professions or associations. It is likely that some individuals with the surname Pappas were descendants of priests or had ancestral ties to the clergy.

One notable bearer of the name Pappas was Christodoulos Pappas (1592-1661), a Greek Orthodox priest and scholar who served as the Patriarch of Constantinople from 1639 to 1644. His contributions to the Greek Orthodox Church and his writings on theology and philosophy are still studied today.

Another prominent figure was Ioannis Pappas (1767-1841), a Greek merchant and philanthropist who played a significant role in supporting the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. He provided financial aid and supplies to the Greek revolutionaries, contributing to the establishment of modern Greece.

In the field of literature, Markos Pappas (1833-1907) was a renowned Greek poet and translator. He is best known for his translations of works by Homer, Virgil, and other classical authors into modern Greek, making them accessible to a wider audience.

During the 20th century, Stavros Pappas (1906-1993) was a Greek-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Pappas Restaurants chain in the United States. He played a significant role in promoting Greek cuisine and culture in America.

The surname Pappas has also been associated with various place names in Greece, such as the village of Pappades in Crete and the town of Pappas in Thessaly. These locations may have derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Pappas who settled or had a presence in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pappas

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

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

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

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