Find out how popular the last name Paschal is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Paschal.

Paschal, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Paschal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paschal in America

Paschal is the 5709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paschal surname appeared 6,075 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Paschal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paschal to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Paschal

The surname Paschal finds its origins in France and is derived from the Old French word "paschal" meaning "relating to Easter." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone born or baptized around Easter time.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 12th century, with the name appearing in various medieval records and documents from the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. One notable early reference is found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval cartulary from the 12th century, which mentions a "Robertus Paschal."

In the 13th century, the name Paschal is recorded in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like survey of landowners in England conducted between 1274 and 1275. This suggests that individuals bearing the surname had migrated from France to England by this time.

Over the centuries, the name has been subject to various spellings, including Paschal, Pascal, and Paschall. These variations can be found in historical records throughout Europe, particularly in France, England, and later in the American colonies.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname was Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and theologian. His influential work in probability theory, geometry, and the development of the mechanical calculator have cemented his place in history.

Another prominent individual was Jean Paschal (1550-1619), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as the King's Advocate in the Parlement of Paris. His legal expertise and contributions to French jurisprudence were widely recognized during his lifetime.

In England, Robert Paschall (1584-1658) was a notable Quaker minister and writer from Gloucestershire. His works, including "A Brief Account of the Travels of Robert Paschall," provide insights into the early Quaker movement and religious dissent in 17th century England.

Moving to the Americas, we find John Paschal (1644-1719), an early settler in Virginia who served as a Justice of the Peace and was involved in the establishment of several churches in the colony.

Finally, George Washington Paschal (1812-1878) was a notable American jurist and legal scholar from Texas. He served as a judge on the Texas Supreme Court and authored several influential legal texts, including "Annotated Digest of the Laws of Texas."

Throughout its history, the surname Paschal has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from intellectuals and scholars to religious figures and early American settlers, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paschal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Paschal.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Paschal was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Paschal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Paschal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Paschal, please contact us.

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