2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pym
An occupational surname of English origin derived from the Old French "parmenter" meaning a tailor or cloth-trimmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Pym. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pym 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 Pym with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Pym in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pym, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pym
The surname Pym is an English surname that originated in Cambridgeshire, England in the late 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "pynd" which referred to an enclosure or pound for confining stray animals. It is believed that the name originally referred to someone who lived near or worked at such an enclosure.
Records show that the earliest known bearer of the name was William Pym, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1198. The name also appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were early census-like records of households and landowners.
The Pym surname can be found in various medieval manuscripts and records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a place called "Pympyn" in Cambridgeshire. This place name is likely related to the surname's origins.
One of the earliest and most notable individuals with the Pym surname was John Pym (1584-1643), an English parliamentarian and leading member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the impeachment of the Earl of Strafford and the passing of the Grand Remonstrance.
Another prominent figure with the Pym surname was Sir Robert Pym (1616-1661), an English lawyer and politician who was appointed Attorney General during the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He was instrumental in the trial and execution of King Charles I.
In the 18th century, John Pym (1717-1788) was a noted English engraver and illustrator, known for his works in the field of natural history. He produced illustrations for various publications, including works by Mark Catesby and George Edwards.
The Pym surname also has literary connections, with the English novelist and playwright Horace Pym (1844-1896) being a notable bearer of the name. He is best known for his novel "The Way of the World" and several successful plays.
In the 20th century, the British author Barbara Pym (1913-1980) gained recognition for her witty and satirical novels, including "Excellent Women" and "A Glass of Blessings." Her works often explored the lives of middle-class Englishwomen and their relationships.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pym
Among Census respondents with the surname Pym, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pym 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 Pym surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 12
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pym
Pym 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 6,242 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 Pym 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 | #154,907 | #148,665 | 4.0% |
| Count | 105 | 111 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pym bearers went from 105 to 111 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 6,242 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #148,665.
FAQ
Pym surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pym?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Pym. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Pym?
Pym ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Pym. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Pym.
Has Pym become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pym went from 105 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 6 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Pym?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pym, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pym in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pym appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (10.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pym (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 Pym mean?
An occupational surname of English origin derived from the Old French "parmenter" meaning a tailor or cloth-trimmer. 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 Pym (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 Pym?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.