2000
#11,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,443
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Pasco
A toponymic surname derived from the municipality of Pasco in the Lazio region of central Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,797 Americans carry the last name Pasco. That puts it at #12,190 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,544 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pasco 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 Pasco with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,544
Census rank
#12,190
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,439 bearers of the surname Pasco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12190th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pasco, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.4%) and Hispanic (10.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pasco
The surname Pasco has its origins in Spain and Italy, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin name "Paschasius," which means "relating to Easter" or "born at Easter." This name was popular among early Christians and was often given to children born around the Easter holiday.
In Spain, the name Pasco is believed to have originated in the region of Catalonia, where it was initially spelled as "Pascual." This spelling variation was likely influenced by the Catalan language. Some early records show the name Pasco appearing in documents from the Kingdom of Aragon during the 13th century.
In Italy, the name Pasco can be traced back to the region of Tuscany, where it was commonly used as a given name before becoming a surname. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pasco can be found in a document from the city of Siena, dated 1249, which mentions a certain "Pasco di Guglielmo."
During the Middle Ages, the surname Pasco was also found in various parts of France, particularly in the southern regions bordering Spain and Italy. It is believed that the name spread to these areas through trade and migration patterns of the time.
Notable individuals with the surname Pasco throughout history include:
1. Juan Pasco (1505-1567), a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas.
2. Pietro Pasco (1638-1701), an Italian architect and engineer known for his work on the reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
3. María Pasco de Acosta (1780-1846), a Venezuelan poet and activist who played a role in the country's struggle for independence.
4. José Pasco y Barrera (1810-1892), a Peruvian military officer and politician who served as the President of Peru from 1865 to 1867.
5. Antonio Pasco (1871-1952), an Italian-American sculptor and artist known for his works in New York City and Washington, D.C.
The surname Pasco has also been associated with various place names, such as Pasco County in Florida, which was named after Samuel Pasco, a U.S. Senator from that state in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pasco
Among Census respondents with the surname Pasco, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.4%) and Hispanic (10.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pasco 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 Pasco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.9% · 1,387
- Asian and Pacific Islander20.4% · 497
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 246
- Black or African American6.8% · 167
- Two or more races5.6% · 136
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pasco
Pasco 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
#11,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,695
+252 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 114 places
2020
#12,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,439
-256 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 559 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,745 | 2,443 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,631 | 2,695 | 0.91 | +252 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 114 places |
| 2020 | #12,190 | 2,439 | 0.82 | -256 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 559 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 Pasco 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 | #11,631 | #12,190 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,695 | 2,439 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.82 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pasco bearers went from 2,695 to 2,439 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 559 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,631 to #12,190.
FAQ
Pasco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pasco?
Name Census estimates that about 2,797 living Americans carry the surname Pasco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,544 residents.
How common is Pasco?
Pasco ranks #12,190 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,439 people with the surname Pasco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,797), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Pasco.
Has Pasco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pasco went from 2,695 recorded bearers to 2,439. That is a decrease of 256 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,631 to #12,190.
What does the Census say about the background of Pasco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pasco, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.4%) and Hispanic (10.1%). 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 Pasco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.9% (1,387 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pasco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (20.4%), Hispanic (10.1%). 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 Pasco (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 Pasco mean?
A toponymic surname derived from the municipality of Pasco in the Lazio region of central Italy. 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 Pasco (0.82 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 Pasco?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.