2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Paydar
A Persian surname meaning 'lasting' or 'permanent'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Paydar. 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 Paydar 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 Paydar 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 Paydar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paydar
The surname "PAYDAR" originates from the Persian language and has its roots in the ancient Persian civilization. The name is believed to have emerged during the Sassanid Empire, which ruled over Persia from the 3rd to the 7th century AD.
The word "PAYDAR" is derived from the Persian word "پایدار" (Payedaar), which means "lasting," "durable," or "permanent." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals or families who were known for their endurance, resilience, or long-standing presence in a particular region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "PAYDAR" can be found in historical chronicles from the Sassanid period, where it was mentioned in connection with notable figures or events. However, specific details about these early references are limited due to the passage of time and the scarcity of primary sources.
During the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century, the name "PAYDAR" continued to be used, and it gained prominence among the Persian nobility and scholarly classes. In the 11th century, a renowned Persian astronomer and mathematician, Abu'l-Fath Paydar, made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and the development of the astrolabe.
In the 13th century, a Persian poet and mystic named Shams al-Din Paydar gained recognition for his spiritual poems and teachings. His works were widely circulated and influenced the development of Persian literature and Sufism.
Another notable figure with the surname "PAYDAR" was Mirza Mohammad Reza Paydar, a Persian diplomat and statesman who lived in the 19th century. He served as the Ambassador of Persia (now Iran) to several European countries and played a crucial role in shaping Persia's diplomatic relations during that period.
Throughout the centuries, the name "PAYDAR" has also been associated with various place names and regions within Persia/Iran. For example, the village of Paydar-e Bala and Paydar-e Pain in the province of Fars are believed to have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the surname "PAYDAR" who settled in those areas.
While the surname "PAYDAR" has its roots in ancient Persia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly regions with significant Persian or Iranian diaspora communities. However, the name remains closely tied to its Persian heritage and continues to hold cultural and historical significance within the Iranian context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paydar
Among Census respondents with the surname Paydar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Paydar 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 Paydar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paydar
Paydar appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 8,358 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 Paydar 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 | #152,628 | #144,270 | 5.5% |
| Count | 107 | 117 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paydar bearers went from 107 to 117 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 8,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #144,270.
FAQ
Paydar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paydar?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Paydar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Paydar?
Paydar 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 Paydar. 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 Paydar.
Has Paydar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paydar went from 107 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 10 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Paydar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paydar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Paydar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paydar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (6.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Paydar (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 Paydar mean?
A Persian surname meaning 'lasting' or 'permanent'. 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 Paydar (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 last name Paydar?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Paydar, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.