2000
#18,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,397
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.52
Rare Last name
Paulo
A surname derived from the Latin name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,126 Americans carry the last name Paulo. That puts it at #15,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,220 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paulo 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 Paulo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 161,220
Census rank
#15,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,854 bearers of the surname Paulo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paulo, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.9%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paulo
The surname Paulo has its origins in Italy, dating back to the Roman era. It is derived from the Latin name "Paulus," which was a common name given to Roman citizens. This name is believed to be related to the Latin word "paulus," meaning "small" or "humble."
In ancient Rome, the name Paulus was often given to children born into wealthy or influential families as a way of instilling humility and modesty. Over time, the name evolved into the surname Paulo, which became widespread in various regions of Italy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Paulo can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis," a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni monastery in Campania, Italy. This codex contains records dating back to the 9th century, where the surname is spelled "Paulonis."
During the Middle Ages, the surname Paulo was particularly prevalent in the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania. It was often associated with prominent families and individuals, such as the noble Paulo family of Siena, who held significant power and influence in the city during the 13th and 14th centuries.
One notable bearer of the surname Paulo was Pietro Paulo Borghese (1460-1527), an Italian Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Nicastro and later became a cardinal. Another prominent figure was Pietro Paulo Vergerio (1370-1444), a renowned Italian humanist, diplomat, and canon law expert.
In the realm of art, the surname Paulo is associated with the Italian Renaissance painter Paolo da San Leocadio (active in the late 15th century), whose works can be found in various churches and galleries in Italy.
Moving forward in time, the 17th century saw the birth of Paolo Agostino di Valletta (1597-1659), a Maltese architect and military engineer who made significant contributions to the fortifications of Malta and played a crucial role in the defense of the island during the Great Siege of 1565.
Throughout history, the surname Paulo has also been associated with various place names and locations in Italy, such as the town of Paullo in the province of Milan, and the village of Paulo Alto in the province of Catanzaro.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paulo
Among Census respondents with the surname Paulo, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.9%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Paulo 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 Paulo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.0% · 908
- Asian and Pacific Islander28.9% · 535
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 147
- Black or African American7.4% · 138
- Two or more races6.4% · 118
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paulo
Paulo 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
#19,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,388
-9 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Down 1,157 places
2020
#15,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,854
+466 bearers (+33.6%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 4,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,312 | 1,397 | 0.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,469 | 1,388 | 0.47 | -9 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 1,157 places |
| 2020 | #15,238 | 1,854 | 0.62 | +466 bearers (+33.6%) | Up 4,231 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 Paulo 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 | #19,469 | #15,238 | 21.7% |
| Count | 1,388 | 1,854 | 33.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.62 | 32.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paulo bearers went from 1,388 to 1,854 (+33.6% change). The surname moved up 4,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,469 to #15,238.
FAQ
Paulo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paulo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,126 living Americans carry the surname Paulo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,220 residents.
How common is Paulo?
Paulo ranks #15,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,854 people with the surname Paulo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Paulo.
Has Paulo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paulo went from 1,388 recorded bearers to 1,854. That is an increase of 466 (+33.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,469 to #15,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Paulo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paulo, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.9%) and Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Paulo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.0% (908 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paulo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (28.9%), Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Paulo (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 Paulo 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 Paulo (0.62 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 are called Paulo?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Paulo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.