2000
#13,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Pascarella
An Italian surname derived from the word "pasca," meaning "Easter," likely referring to someone born during the Easter season.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,242 Americans carry the last name Pascarella. That puts it at #14,620 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pascarella 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
2.2K
1 in 152,879
Census rank
#14,620
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,955 bearers of the surname Pascarella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14620th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pascarella, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pascarella
The surname Pascarella originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Calabria. It is derived from the Italian word "pascare," which means "to graze" or "to pasture." This suggests that the name may have been given to families who worked as shepherds or had some connection to the pastoral way of life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pascarella can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Vico Equense, near Naples. In a manuscript from 1265, a certain Nicola Pascarella is mentioned as a landowner in the area.
In the 15th century, the name appears in several records from the town of Stilo in Calabria. A family of Pascarellas is documented as being among the local nobility, owning estates and holding positions of influence in the community.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the name Pascarella was Antonio Pascarella (1455-1521), a renowned painter from Naples. He is best known for his work in the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, where he created several frescoes depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.
In the 17th century, a Pascarella family from the town of Caserta in Campania produced a prominent jurist named Gian Battista Pascarella (1620-1685). He served as a judge in the Royal Court of Naples and was highly regarded for his legal expertise.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Pascarella was Vincenzo Pascarella (1785-1861), a military officer from Calabria who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of general and played a significant role in the campaigns against the French in southern Italy.
In the 19th century, the name Pascarella is associated with the town of Strongoli in Calabria, where a family of landowners and entrepreneurs lived. One member, Giuseppe Pascarella (1835-1912), was a successful businessman who established a thriving wine production and export company.
Throughout its history, the surname Pascarella has maintained its roots in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in Campania and Calabria. While the name may have evolved from its humble pastoral origins, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, legal professionals, military figures, and entrepreneurs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pascarella
Among Census respondents with the surname Pascarella, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pascarella 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 Pascarella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 1,785
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 80
- Two or more races3.0% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pascarella
Pascarella 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
#13,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,344
+255 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 284 places
2020
#14,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,955
-389 bearers (-16.6%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,532 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,372 | 2,089 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,088 | 2,344 | 0.79 | +255 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 284 places |
| 2020 | #14,620 | 1,955 | 0.65 | -389 bearers (-16.6%) | Down 1,532 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 Pascarella 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 | #13,088 | #14,620 | -11.7% |
| Count | 2,344 | 1,955 | -16.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.65 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pascarella bearers went from 2,344 to 1,955 (-16.6% change). The surname moved down 1,532 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,088 to #14,620.
FAQ
Pascarella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pascarella?
Name Census estimates that about 2,242 living Americans carry the surname Pascarella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,879 residents.
How common is Pascarella?
Pascarella ranks #14,620 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,955 people with the surname Pascarella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,242), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Pascarella.
Has Pascarella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pascarella went from 2,344 recorded bearers to 1,955. That is a decrease of 389 (-16.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,088 to #14,620.
What does the Census say about the background of Pascarella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pascarella, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Pascarella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (1,785 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pascarella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Pascarella (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 Pascarella mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "pasca," meaning "Easter," likely referring to someone born during the Easter season. 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 Pascarella (0.65 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 Pascarella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.