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

Pauling, 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 Pauling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pauling in America

Pauling is the 16313th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pauling surname appeared 1,767 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pauling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pauling 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 Pauling

The surname Pauling originates from Germany, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "Paul," which means "small" or "humble." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone of small stature or a humble personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pauling can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a certain "Johannes Pauling," a merchant who lived in the city during that period. The name also appears in various other historical documents from the same region, indicating its prevalence among the German population.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Pauling was Hans Pauling, a renowned artist and engraver from Nuremberg. His intricate woodcuts and engravings were highly regarded during his time, and some of his works can still be found in museums and private collections today (Born: 1495, Died: 1567).

As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, it underwent minor spelling variations, such as "Paulingh," "Paulingk," and "Paulinghe." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices of the time.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Pauling is the American chemist and Nobel laureate, Linus Pauling. Born in 1901 in Portland, Oregon, Pauling made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of chemistry and molecular biology, including the discovery of the alpha helix structure of proteins. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962, making him one of only four individuals to be awarded two Nobel Prizes (Died: 1994).

Another notable figure with the Pauling surname was Christian Ferdinand Pauling, a German philosopher and theologian from the 18th century. He was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and wrote extensively on topics such as natural theology and the relationship between reason and faith (Born: 1688, Died: 1765).

In the realm of literature, the name Pauling is associated with the German writer and poet, Johann Pauling. Born in 1742 in Saxony, he gained recognition for his lyrical poetry and his contributions to the Sturm und Drang literary movement (Died: 1801).

While the surname Pauling has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Over time, it has become a globally recognized name, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pauling

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!