Pavlou last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Pavlou

A surname derived from the Greek name Pavlos, meaning "little" or "humble".

Pavlou, 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 Pavlou surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pavlou in America

Pavlou is the 81458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pavlou surname appeared 232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pavlou.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pavlou 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 81458 91004 -11.07%
Count 232 188 20.95%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.07 13.33%

The history of the last name Pavlou

The surname Pavlou is of Greek origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Greek civilization. It is derived from the Greek word "pavlos," which means "little" or "small." This name likely originated in the regions of mainland Greece and the Greek islands, where it was first used as a descriptive name for a person of smaller stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pavlou can be found in the Byzantine Empire, where it appears in historical documents from the 9th and 10th centuries. During this period, the name was primarily concentrated in the areas of modern-day Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans, reflecting the geographic spread of the Byzantine Empire.

In the Middle Ages, the name Pavlou gained prominence in various regions of Greece, particularly in the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands. It is mentioned in several Greek manuscripts and chronicles from this era, indicating its continued use and significance within Greek communities.

One notable figure bearing the surname Pavlou was Theodoros Pavlou, a Greek scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. He was a renowned intellectual of his time and played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting Greek literature and philosophy during the tumultuous period of the Fall of Constantinople.

Another prominent individual with the Pavlou surname was Ioannis Pavlou, a Greek revolutionary who fought against Ottoman rule in the early 19th century. He was a key figure in the Greek War of Independence and is remembered for his bravery and dedication to the cause of Greek liberation.

In the 20th century, the name Pavlou gained international recognition through the achievements of individuals such as Dimitrios Pavlou (1904-1992), a distinguished Greek diplomat and statesman who served as the Ambassador of Greece to several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Additionally, Georgios Pavlou (1924-2008) was a celebrated Greek artist and painter who gained recognition for his unique style and his contributions to the modern art movement in Greece.

The surname Pavlou has also been associated with various place names in Greece, such as the village of Pavlou in the region of Thessaly, further solidifying its deep roots in the country's history and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pavlou

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

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 Pavlou was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 90.95% 211
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 5.60% 13

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 Pavlou has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 90.95% 97.87% -7.33%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Hispanic 5.60% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Pavlou last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/pavlou-surname-popularity/.

"Pavlou last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/pavlou-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 August, 2025

Pavlou last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/pavlou-surname-popularity/.

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