2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Paragon
A paragon is a model of excellence or perfection.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Paragon. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paragon 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Paragon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paragon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paragon
The surname PARAGON has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "paragon," meaning "a model of excellence or perfection." This term was likely adopted into the English language during the Norman Conquest of 1066, when French vocabulary and culture heavily influenced the language and society of England.
One of the earliest known references to the surname PARAGON can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and their holdings in various English counties. This document mentions a Roger Paragon, who owned land in the county of Oxfordshire. Another early record is the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1310, which includes a John Paragon, indicating the name's presence in that region as well.
The surname PARAGON is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname, possibly given to individuals who were considered exceptional or highly regarded in their communities. It may have been used to denote someone of outstanding character, skill, or physical attributes. Over time, this nickname became adopted as a hereditary surname, passed down through generations.
In the 15th century, the PARAGON surname appears in the records of the Guild of Merchants in York, where a William Paragon is listed as a member in 1478. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were involved in trade and commerce during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname PARAGON throughout history include:
1. Thomas Paragon (c. 1460 - 1518), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of St Davids in Wales.
2. Robert Paragon (c. 1550 - 1612), an English printer and publisher known for his work on theological texts and legal works.
3. Elizabeth Paragon (c. 1620 - 1690), a prominent Quaker activist and writer who advocated for religious freedom and women's rights in colonial America.
4. Sir Henry Paragon (1739 - 1811), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of Admiral.
5. James Paragon (1823 - 1898), an English author and poet known for his works on nature and rural life, including "The Paragon's Garland" published in 1879.
While the surname PARAGON is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and connections to various regions of England, as well as ties to notable figures across different fields and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paragon
Among Census respondents with the surname Paragon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Paragon 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 Paragon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 91
- Black or African American9.0% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paragon
Paragon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 7,525 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 Paragon 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 | #141,140 | #148,665 | -5.3% |
| Count | 118 | 111 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paragon bearers went from 118 to 111 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 7,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #148,665.
FAQ
Paragon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paragon?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Paragon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Paragon?
Paragon ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Paragon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Paragon.
Has Paragon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paragon went from 118 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Paragon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paragon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Paragon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paragon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (9.0%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Paragon (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 Paragon mean?
A paragon is a model of excellence or perfection. 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 Paragon (0.04 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 surname Paragon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.