2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Patsos
A Greek surname derived from the given name Patsios, a diminutive of Patsas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Patsos. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Patsos 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Patsos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Patsos, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Patsos
The surname "Patsos" is of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word "patsas," which means "pudgy" or "chubby." This nickname was likely given to someone with a stocky or plump build, and over time, it became a hereditary surname.
The earliest known record of the Patsos surname dates back to the 16th century on the Greek island of Crete. During this period, surnames were becoming more commonplace, and many Greeks adopted surnames based on physical characteristics, occupations, or place names.
In the 18th century, the Patsos surname appeared in various records and manuscripts from the Greek Archipelago, particularly on the islands of Crete, Samos, and Chios. These records often included references to individuals with the Patsos surname, such as merchants, landowners, and artisans.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Patsos surname was Ioannis Patsos, a prominent merchant from the island of Samos, who lived in the late 17th century. Another notable figure was Georgios Patsos, a renowned scholar and writer from Crete, who lived in the 18th century and authored several works on Greek history and culture.
In the 19th century, the Patsos surname spread to other parts of Greece, particularly to the mainland and the Peloponnese region. During this period, several individuals with the Patsos surname gained recognition, including:
1. Konstantinos Patsos (1802-1871), a Greek politician and military leader who played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence.
2. Nikolaos Patsos (1828-1899), a Greek painter and one of the pioneers of modern Greek art.
3. Alexandros Patsos (1856-1921), a Greek lawyer and judge who served as the President of the Supreme Court of Greece.
In the 20th century, the Patsos surname continued to be prominent in various fields, with notable individuals such as:
4. Ioannis Patsos (1919-2001), a Greek actor and director who had a successful career in both theater and cinema.
5. Vasilis Patsos (1924-2010), a Greek poet and writer who was renowned for his contributions to modern Greek literature.
While the surname Patsos has its roots in Greece, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Greek immigration and diaspora communities. However, the name's rich history and origins can be traced back to the Greek islands and the cultural traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Patsos
Among Census respondents with the surname Patsos, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Patsos 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 Patsos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Patsos
Patsos 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,538 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 10,538 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,354 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 Patsos 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 | #140,157 | #143,511 | -2.4% |
| Count | 119 | 118 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Patsos bearers went from 119 to 118 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #143,511.
FAQ
Patsos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Patsos?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Patsos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Patsos?
Patsos ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Patsos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Patsos.
Has Patsos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Patsos went from 119 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Patsos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Patsos, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Patsos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Patsos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Patsos (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 Patsos mean?
A Greek surname derived from the given name Patsios, a diminutive of Patsas. 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 Patsos (0.04 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 have the surname Patsos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.