2000
#7,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Paradise
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a park, garden, or other pleasant, idyllic place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,745 Americans carry the last name Paradise. That puts it at #7,713 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paradise 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Paradise with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,235
Census rank
#7,713
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,138 bearers of the surname Paradise in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7713th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paradise, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paradise
The surname Paradise originated in England during the late Middle Ages. It is an English locational surname derived from the Old French phrase "paradis" meaning "paradise." This term likely referred to a pleasant or desirable location, suggesting that the earliest bearers of the surname hailed from a place with this descriptive name.
Records indicate that the Paradise surname first appeared in the historical county of Norfolk during the 13th century. One of the earliest known references is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Ralph de Paradys residing in Norfolk. This spelling variation highlights the surname's French roots and its evolution into the modern English form.
By the 14th century, the Paradise surname had spread to other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John de Paradys in Yorkshire, while the Lincolnshire Subsidy Rolls of 1349 mention a Thomas Paradis, showcasing further spelling variations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Paradise surname was William Paradise, born around 1420 in Norwich, Norfolk. He was a prominent merchant and served as the Mayor of Norwich in 1471. Another notable figure was John Paradise, born in 1508 in Hertfordshire, who became a celebrated theologian and scholar at the University of Cambridge.
In the 16th century, the Paradise surname gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Paradise (1529-1585), a renowned English composer and musician. He served as the Master of the Choristers at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford and contributed significantly to the development of English church music during the Renaissance period.
Another significant individual was Sir Benjamin Paradise (1591-1658), a wealthy English merchant and politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Sandwich, Kent, during the reign of King Charles I. He played a pivotal role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Royalist cause before switching allegiance to the Parliamentarians.
The Paradise surname also found its way to the American colonies in the 17th century. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of John Paradise, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later became a prominent landowner and planter in the colony.
These examples illustrate the rich history and geographical spread of the Paradise surname, which has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, musicians, scholars, and politicians, throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paradise
Among Census respondents with the surname Paradise, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Paradise 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 Paradise surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 3,561
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 196
- Two or more races4.2% · 172
- Black or African American3.6% · 149
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paradise
Paradise 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
#7,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,170
+142 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 324 places
2020
#7,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,138
-32 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,609 | 4,028 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,933 | 4,170 | 1.41 | +142 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 324 places |
| 2020 | #7,713 | 4,138 | 1.38 | -32 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 220 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 Paradise 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 | #7,933 | #7,713 | 2.8% |
| Count | 4,170 | 4,138 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.38 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paradise bearers went from 4,170 to 4,138 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 220 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,933 to #7,713.
FAQ
Paradise surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paradise?
Name Census estimates that about 4,745 living Americans carry the surname Paradise. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,235 residents.
How common is Paradise?
Paradise ranks #7,713 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,138 people with the surname Paradise. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,745), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Paradise.
Has Paradise become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paradise went from 4,170 recorded bearers to 4,138. That is a decrease of 32 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,933 to #7,713.
What does the Census say about the background of Paradise?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paradise, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Paradise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (3,561 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paradise appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Paradise (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 Paradise mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a park, garden, or other pleasant, idyllic place. 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 Paradise (1.38 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 Paradise?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Paradise on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.