2000
#6,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,532
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Pass
An occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a mountain pass or narrow passage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,016 Americans carry the last name Pass. That puts it at #7,346 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,332 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pass 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 Pass with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,332
Census rank
#7,346
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,374 bearers of the surname Pass in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7346th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pass, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pass
The surname PASS is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "paes", meaning a pass or passage, particularly through a mountainous region or a narrow path. This connection suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone who lived near a mountain pass or traveled frequently through such passages.
The earliest recorded instances of the name PASS can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is John le Pass, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. Another early reference is to a Robert atte Passe, found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.
In the 15th century, the name began to appear in various spellings, such as Passe, Passe, and Passe. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. One notable individual from this period was William Passe, a renowned English engraver and printer who lived from 1544 to 1622.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name PASS became more widely distributed throughout England. In 1586, a Thomas Passe was recorded in the Parish Registers of Wrington, Somerset. Another individual of note was Simon Pass, a prominent English cartographer who lived from 1632 to 1701 and is best known for his maps of England and Wales.
As the name spread, it also became associated with various place names, such as Pass Vale in Derbyshire and Pass Hill in Yorkshire. These locations may have contributed to the adoption of the surname by individuals living in or near those areas.
In the 18th century, the name PASS continued to be found in various regions of England. One notable figure was John Pass, a renowned sculptor and carver who lived from 1724 to 1807 and was responsible for much of the ornamental woodwork in the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Throughout the 19th century, the PASS surname continued to be well-represented in England, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various professions and walks of life. One notable example was Alfred William Pass, an English landscape painter who lived from 1838 to 1915 and was known for his depictions of rural scenes.
While the surname PASS has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "paes" and its association with mountain passes and narrow passages in the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pass
Among Census respondents with the surname Pass, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pass 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 Pass surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.2% · 2,941
- Black or African American24.9% · 1,089
- Two or more races3.6% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 157
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pass
Pass 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
#7,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,583
+51 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 436 places
2020
#7,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,374
-209 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 74 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,836 | 4,532 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,272 | 4,583 | 1.55 | +51 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 436 places |
| 2020 | #7,346 | 4,374 | 1.46 | -209 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 74 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 Pass 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 | #7,272 | #7,346 | -1.0% |
| Count | 4,583 | 4,374 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.46 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pass bearers went from 4,583 to 4,374 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 74 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,272 to #7,346.
FAQ
Pass surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pass?
Name Census estimates that about 5,016 living Americans carry the surname Pass. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,332 residents.
How common is Pass?
Pass ranks #7,346 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 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 4,374 people with the surname Pass. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,016), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 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 Pass.
Has Pass become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pass went from 4,583 recorded bearers to 4,374. That is a decrease of 209 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,272 to #7,346.
What does the Census say about the background of Pass?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pass, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pass in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (2,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pass appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.2%), Black (24.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pass (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 Pass mean?
An occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a mountain pass or narrow passage. 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 Pass (1.46 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 common is the surname Pass?
If you just want to know how common the surname Pass is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.