2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pavlow
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "of Pavel", itself derived from the Latin name "Paulus".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Pavlow. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pavlow 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Pavlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pavlow
The surname Pavlow is of Russian origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Russian word "pavlin," meaning "peacock." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who bore a resemblance to the bird or exhibited characteristics associated with it, such as pride or vanity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pavlow can be found in the Veliky Novgorod census records from the late 1500s. The name was predominantly found in the northern regions of Russia during this time period, particularly in and around the city of Novgorod.
In the 17th century, the surname Pavlow appeared in several historical documents, including the Pistsovye Knigi (cadastral survey books) of the Moscow region. These records provide insights into the lives and occupations of individuals bearing the name, with some listed as landowners or farmers.
A notable figure with the surname Pavlow was Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), a Russian physiologist who is renowned for his work on classical conditioning and the study of reflexes. His groundbreaking experiments involving dogs and the concept of the "conditioned reflex" earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904.
Another individual of historical significance was Dmitry Pavlow (1854-1938), a Russian geologist and mineralogist who made significant contributions to the study of igneous rocks. He is particularly known for his work on the classification and nomenclature of igneous rocks, which laid the foundation for modern petrography.
In the late 19th century, Konstantin Pavlow (1874-1953) was a prominent Russian mathematician and physicist who made important contributions to the field of aerodynamics. His work on the theory of wing design and airflow around curved surfaces influenced the development of early aircraft.
Ivan Pavlov (1935-2003), a Soviet and Russian actor, was also a notable bearer of the surname. He appeared in numerous films throughout his career and was honored with the prestigious People's Artist of the USSR award in 1976.
Lastly, Nikolai Pavlow (1887-1942) was a Russian-born Canadian artist who is renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Canadian Rockies. His works are held in collections across North America and Europe, showcasing his mastery of capturing the majesty of the natural world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pavlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pavlow 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 Pavlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 92
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pavlow
Pavlow 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
+15 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,854 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-18 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 5,854 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 15,113 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 Pavlow 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 | #155,270 | -10.8% |
| Count | 119 | 101 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pavlow bearers went from 119 to 101 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 15,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #155,270.
FAQ
Pavlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pavlow?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Pavlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Pavlow?
Pavlow ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Pavlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Pavlow.
Has Pavlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pavlow went from 119 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Pavlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Pavlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pavlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Pavlow (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 Pavlow mean?
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "of Pavel", itself derived from the Latin name "Paulus". 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 Pavlow (0.03 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 Pavlow?
See how many people have the last name Pavlow on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.