2000
#5,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,973
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.21
Rare Last name
Paradis
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a park or orchard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,716 Americans carry the last name Paradis. That puts it at #5,702 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paradis 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
6.7K
1 in 51,035
Census rank
#5,702
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,857 bearers of the surname Paradis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5702nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paradis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paradis
The surname Paradis originated in France, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "paradis," meaning "paradise," which stems from the Late Latin "paradisus" and the Greek "paradeisos," referring to a walled garden or park.
During the Middle Ages, the name Paradis was likely bestowed upon individuals who lived near or owned a particularly beautiful or well-maintained garden, orchard, or estate. It may also have been used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived in a pleasant or desirable location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Paradis can be found in the Rotuli Chartarum, a collection of ancient records and charters from the 13th century, where it appears as "de Paradis." This suggests that the name was initially used as a locational surname, referring to a person's place of origin or residence.
In the 14th century, the name Paradis appears in the Corpus Heraldicum, a collection of heraldic emblems and coats of arms, indicating that it was adopted by certain noble families or individuals of distinction.
Notable historical figures bearing the surname Paradis include:
1. Jacques Paradis (c. 1550-1625), a French composer and organist known for his contributions to the Renaissance music tradition.
2. Michel Paradis (1699-1766), a French-Canadian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in mapping the Great Lakes region of North America.
3. Marie-Thérèse Paradis (1759-1824), an Austrian pianist and composer who achieved remarkable success despite being blind from early childhood.
4. Victorin Paradis (1829-1902), a French-Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.
5. Marie-Louise Paradis (1867-1957), a Canadian writer and educator who was a prominent figure in the literary and cultural circles of Quebec in the early 20th century.
The surname Paradis has also been associated with various place names throughout France and Canada, such as Paradis, a commune in the Isère department of southeastern France, and Paradis, a former municipality in Quebec, Canada, now part of the city of Lévis.
While the name Paradis has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and the establishment of French-speaking communities in various regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paradis
Among Census respondents with the surname Paradis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Paradis 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 Paradis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 5,332
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 277
- Two or more races2.8% · 162
- Black or African American0.7% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paradis
Paradis 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
#5,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,113
+140 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.07
Rank movement Down 311 places
2020
#5,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,857
-256 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,364 | 5,973 | 2.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,675 | 6,113 | 2.07 | +140 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 311 places |
| 2020 | #5,702 | 5,857 | 1.96 | -256 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 27 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 Paradis 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 | #5,675 | #5,702 | -0.5% |
| Count | 6,113 | 5,857 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.07 | 1.96 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paradis bearers went from 6,113 to 5,857 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,675 to #5,702.
FAQ
Paradis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paradis?
Name Census estimates that about 6,716 living Americans carry the surname Paradis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,035 residents.
How common is Paradis?
Paradis ranks #5,702 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,857 people with the surname Paradis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,716), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Paradis.
Has Paradis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paradis went from 6,113 recorded bearers to 5,857. That is a decrease of 256 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,675 to #5,702.
What does the Census say about the background of Paradis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paradis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Paradis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (5,332 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paradis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (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 Paradis (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 Paradis mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a park or orchard. 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 Paradis (1.96 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 share the surname Paradis?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.