2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pharoah
An occupational surname related to the royal rulers or leaders of ancient Egypt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Pharoah. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pharoah 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 Pharoah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Pharoah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pharoah, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (9.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pharoah
The surname Pharoah is derived from the ancient Egyptian word "Pr-aa", which means "great house" or "palace". It is believed to have originated in Egypt during the time of the ancient pharaohs, who were the rulers and kings of the land.
The name Pharoah is closely associated with the powerful and influential rulers of ancient Egypt, such as Ramses II, who reigned from 1279 to 1213 BC and was known for his extensive building projects, including the construction of the famous Ramesseum mortuary temple. Another notable figure was Tutankhamun, who ruled from 1332 to 1323 BC and is widely remembered for the discovery of his intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922.
In the Middle Ages, the name Pharoah appeared in various forms, including Farao and Faraho, in some European records and manuscripts. This suggests that the name may have been adopted by travelers or individuals who had connections to the Middle East or the Mediterranean region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pharoah can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England, completed in 1086 AD. The entry mentions a person named "Pharoah" who held land in the county of Norfolk.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Pharoah. One example is John Pharoah (1610-1685), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Sandwich in Kent. Another is William Pharoah (1787-1867), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a rear admiral.
In the literary world, Josiah Pharoah (1673-1743) was an English playwright and poet who wrote several works, including the tragedy "The Virgin Queen" and the comedy "The Beau Defeated". Additionally, Henry Pharoah (1806-1883) was a British architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.
It is worth noting that the surname Pharoah is relatively uncommon, particularly outside of regions with historical connections to ancient Egypt or the Middle East. However, its unique origins and association with the powerful rulers of ancient Egypt have contributed to its enduring presence throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pharoah
Among Census respondents with the surname Pharoah, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (9.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pharoah 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 Pharoah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.3% · 84
- Black or African American10.6% · 12
- Two or more races9.7% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pharoah
Pharoah 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,113 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 Pharoah 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 | #142,108 | #147,221 | -3.6% |
| Count | 117 | 113 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pharoah bearers went from 117 to 113 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,221.
FAQ
Pharoah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pharoah?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Pharoah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Pharoah?
Pharoah ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Pharoah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Pharoah.
Has Pharoah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pharoah went from 117 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Pharoah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pharoah, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (9.7%). 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 Pharoah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pharoah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.3%), Black (10.6%), Two or More Races (9.7%). 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 Pharoah (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 Pharoah mean?
An occupational surname related to the royal rulers or leaders of ancient Egypt. 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 Pharoah (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 common is the surname Pharoah?
See how many people have the surname Pharoah on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.