2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Psaltis
A Greek occupational surname meaning "singer" or "psalmodist".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Psaltis. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Psaltis 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Psaltis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Psaltis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Psaltis
The surname PSALTIS originates from Greece, with its roots dating back to the Byzantine era. It is derived from the Greek word "psaltis," which means "singer" or "chanter." The name was likely given to individuals who were singers or chanters in churches or monasteries during the Byzantine period.
PSALTIS is believed to have first appeared in historical records and manuscripts in the 14th century. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, dated around 1350. The document mentions a monk named Ioannis Psaltis, who was a chanter in the monastery's choir.
In the 15th century, the PSALTIS name gained prominence in the city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). Several individuals with this surname were recorded as members of the imperial court and the clergy. One notable figure was Georgios Psaltis, who served as the personal secretary to the Byzantine Emperor John VIII Palaiologos in the 1420s.
The PSALTIS surname spread throughout Greece and other regions of the Byzantine Empire during the medieval and Renaissance periods. It was particularly common in the areas of Thessaloniki, the Peloponnese, and the Greek islands.
In the 18th century, a Greek scholar and philosopher named Ioannis Psaltis (1730-1809) gained recognition for his work on the Greek language and his translations of classical texts. He was born in the village of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey) and spent much of his life teaching in various schools and academies throughout the Greek world.
Another notable individual with the PSALTIS surname was Petros Psaltis (1854-1929), a Greek composer and music teacher who lived in Constantinople (Istanbul) during the late Ottoman period. He was renowned for his contributions to the Byzantine and Greek Orthodox liturgical music traditions.
In the 20th century, Aristidis Psaltis (1901-1989) was a prominent Greek politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece from 1958 to 1961 and played a significant role in Greece's foreign relations during the Cold War era.
While the PSALTIS surname has its origins in Greece and the Byzantine Empire, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora communities. However, its historical roots and connections to the Byzantine church and musical traditions remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Psaltis
Among Census respondents with the surname Psaltis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Psaltis 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 Psaltis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Psaltis
Psaltis 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+19 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,483 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-22 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,474 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 6,483 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 20,474 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 Psaltis 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 | #122,314 | #142,788 | -16.7% |
| Count | 141 | 119 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Psaltis bearers went from 141 to 119 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 20,474 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #142,788.
FAQ
Psaltis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Psaltis?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Psaltis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Psaltis?
Psaltis ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Psaltis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Psaltis.
Has Psaltis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Psaltis went from 141 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 22 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Psaltis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Psaltis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Psaltis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Psaltis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Psaltis (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 Psaltis mean?
A Greek occupational surname meaning "singer" or "psalmodist". 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 Psaltis (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 share the surname Psaltis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.