2000
#103,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Paulas
A surname derived from the Latin name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Paulas. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paulas 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Paulas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paulas, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paulas
The surname PAULAS is believed to have originated in the ancient Roman Empire, specifically in the region of Latium, which is now part of modern-day Italy. The name is derived from the Latin word "paulus," which means "small" or "humble." It is thought that the name may have been given to individuals who were of small stature or had a humble demeanor.
During the Middle Ages, the name PAULAS began to spread throughout various regions of Europe as a result of the migration of people and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. In the 11th century, the name appeared in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that individuals bearing the PAULAS surname had already established a presence in England at that time.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the PAULAS surname can be found in the chronicles of the Italian city-state of Siena, where a nobleman named Guido Paulas lived in the 13th century. Another notable figure from this era was the French philosopher and theologian Jean Paulas, who lived from 1240 to 1315 and was known for his writings on logic and metaphysics.
In the 15th century, the PAULAS surname gained prominence in Spain, where it was associated with the town of Paulas in the province of Burgos. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Juan de Paulas, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.
As the PAULAS surname spread across Europe, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Paulis, Pauli, and Pauley. One notable bearer of the name was the German composer and organist Jakob Paulus (1550-1608), who was renowned for his contributions to the development of sacred music during the Renaissance.
In the 17th century, the PAULAS surname found its way to the British colonies in North America, where individuals with this name played a role in the early settlement and development of the region. One such individual was Edward Paulas, an English immigrant who settled in Virginia in the 1630s and became a prominent landowner and farmer.
Throughout history, the PAULAS surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, politicians, and military leaders. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of many nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paulas
Among Census respondents with the surname Paulas, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Paulas 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 Paulas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 93
- Black or African American17.9% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paulas
Paulas 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-48 bearers (-30.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 43,547 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #103,706 | 160 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -48 bearers (-30.0%) | Down 43,547 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Paulas 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paulas bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Paulas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paulas?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Paulas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Paulas?
Paulas ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Paulas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Paulas.
Has Paulas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paulas went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Paulas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paulas, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Paulas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paulas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Black (17.9%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Paulas (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 Paulas mean?
A surname derived from the Latin name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble." 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 Paulas (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 Paulas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.