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

Pastor, 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 Pastor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pastor in America

Pastor is the 4642nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pastor surname appeared 7,647 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Pastor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pastor 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 Pastor

The surname "PASTOR" originated in Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "pastor," which means "shepherd" or "herdsman." The name likely referred to someone who tended flocks of sheep or other livestock as an occupation.

In medieval times, surnames were often based on professions, physical attributes, or places of origin. The name PASTOR likely emerged as a way to identify individuals who worked as shepherds or those who came from a particular region associated with pastoral activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PASTOR can be found in the Catalan region of Spain. In the 13th century, a document from the town of Lleida mentions a man named Bernat Pastor. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.

Another early record of the PASTOR surname comes from Portugal, where a document dated 1291 refers to a man named Martim Pastor. This indicates that the name was also present in the neighboring region during the same period.

Throughout the centuries, the PASTOR surname appeared in various historical records across the Iberian Peninsula. For example, in the 15th century, a man named Juan Pastor was recorded as a resident of the town of Cuenca, Spain.

One notable figure with the PASTOR surname was Andrés Pastor (born around 1460), a Spanish theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Salamanca. He was known for his contributions to scholastic theology and his influential works on logic and metaphysics.

Another individual of note was Juan Pastor (1501-1566), a Spanish architect and sculptor who was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and monasteries in Spain, including the Church of San Esteban in Salamanca.

In the 18th century, a Spaniard named Manuel Pastor (1715-1785) gained recognition as a talented painter. He was particularly known for his religious works and portraits, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Spain.

As the PASTOR surname spread beyond the Iberian Peninsula, it also appeared in various parts of the Americas, particularly in regions colonized by Spain and Portugal. For instance, in the 19th century, a Venezuelan politician and diplomat named Miguel Pastor (1817-1888) played a significant role in the country's independence movement.

Another notable figure was Álvaro Pastor (1863-1933), a Uruguayan lawyer and politician who served as the President of Uruguay from 1920 to 1923.

While these are just a few examples, the PASTOR surname has a rich history spanning centuries and can be traced back to its origins as a occupational name in medieval Spain and Portugal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pastor

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

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 Pastor 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 Pastor 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 Pastor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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