2000
#63,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 292
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Rare Last name
Par
A surname possibly derived from the French "par" meaning by or near, indicating proximity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,247 Americans carry the last name Par. That puts it at #8,528 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Par 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
4.2K
1 in 80,705
Census rank
#8,528
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,704 bearers of the surname Par in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8528th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Par, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and White (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Par
The surname PAR originated in France during medieval times. It is derived from the Old French word "par" meaning "equal" or "peer". The name likely referred to someone who held a position of equal rank or status.
In the 12th century, the name appears in records from the region of Normandy, France. One of the earliest recorded instances is Ricardus Par in the Dives Roll of 1195, a list of Norman nobles and landowners. Other early spellings include Pare, Paire, and Pere.
The name PAR is also found in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry "Walter Par" is listed as holding lands in Lincolnshire.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Par, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was born around 1260 in Northamptonshire, England.
During the 15th century, the PAR surname spread to other parts of Europe. In Germany, the spelling "Paar" emerged, likely influenced by the German word "Paar" meaning "pair" or "couple".
One of the earliest recorded instances in Scotland is William Par, who was granted lands in Ayrshire in 1450 by King James II.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure was John Par (1517-1575), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable bearer was Sir William Par (1572-1637), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1635.
The PAR surname has been carried by many other individuals throughout history, including authors, artists, scientists, and military leaders across various countries and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Par
Among Census respondents with the surname Par, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and White (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Par 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 Par surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.0% · 3,332
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 197
- White3.3% · 123
- Black or African American0.8% · 30
- Two or more races0.5% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Par
Par 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
#23,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,052
+760 bearers (+260.3%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Up 39,834 places
2020
#8,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,704
+2,652 bearers (+252.1%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 15,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,812 | 292 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,978 | 1,052 | 0.36 | +760 bearers (+260.3%) | Up 39,834 places |
| 2020 | #8,528 | 3,704 | 1.24 | +2,652 bearers (+252.1%) | Up 15,450 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 Par 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 | #23,978 | #8,528 | 64.4% |
| Count | 1,052 | 3,704 | 252.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 1.24 | 244.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Par bearers went from 1,052 to 3,704 (+252.1% change). The surname moved up 15,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,978 to #8,528.
FAQ
Par surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Par?
Name Census estimates that about 4,247 living Americans carry the surname Par. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,705 residents.
How common is Par?
Par ranks #8,528 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,704 people with the surname Par. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,247), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Par.
Has Par become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Par went from 1,052 recorded bearers to 3,704. That is an increase of 2,652 (+252.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,978 to #8,528.
What does the Census say about the background of Par?
Among Census respondents with the surname Par, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and White (3.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Par in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (3,332 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Par appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.0%), Hispanic (5.3%), White (3.3%). 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 Par (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 Par mean?
A surname possibly derived from the French "par" meaning by or near, indicating proximity. 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 Par (1.24 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 people have the last name Par?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Par at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.