2000
#32,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 656
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Papageorge
A Greek surname derived from "papas" meaning priest and "Georgios" meaning farmer or cultivator.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 714 Americans carry the last name Papageorge. That puts it at #38,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 480,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Papageorge 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
714
1 in 480,048
Census rank
#38,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
623
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 623 bearers of the surname Papageorge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Papageorge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Papageorge
The surname Papageorge has its origins in Greece, dating back to the Byzantine era. It is a compound name derived from the Greek words "papas" meaning priest or father, and "georgios" meaning farmer or one who works the land. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who were either priests or farmers, or those who belonged to a family with such occupations.
The earliest known records of the Papageorge name can be traced back to the 12th century, where it appeared in various documents and manuscripts from the Byzantine Empire. Some of these records include mentions of individuals with similar spellings like Papageorgios or Papageorgius, indicating variations in the name's spelling over time.
One notable historical figure with this surname was Nikephoros Papageorge, a Byzantine scholar and theologian who lived in the 13th century. He was known for his work in the field of ecclesiastical law and his contributions to the debates surrounding the union of the Eastern and Western churches.
In the 14th century, there are records of a village called Papageorgio in the region of Thessaly, which may have been named after a prominent Papageorge family residing there. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a notable surname in certain parts of Greece by that time.
Another notable Papageorge was Theodoros Papageorge, a Greek merchant and diplomat who lived in the 16th century. He was involved in trade negotiations between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, playing a crucial role in facilitating economic and diplomatic relations between the two powers.
In the 19th century, Ioannis Papageorge was a Greek freedom fighter who participated in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. He is remembered for his bravery and sacrifice in the struggle for Greek independence.
Over the centuries, the Papageorge surname has spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Greek diaspora communities. While the name retains its Greek roots, it has also been adapted and assimilated into different cultures and languages, leading to slight variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Papageorge
Among Census respondents with the surname Papageorge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Papageorge 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 Papageorge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 567
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 32
- Black or African American1.9% · 12
- Two or more races1.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Papageorge
Papageorge 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
#35,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 631
-25 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 2,683 places
2020
#38,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 623
-8 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 2,657 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,939 | 656 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,622 | 631 | 0.21 | -25 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 2,683 places |
| 2020 | #38,279 | 623 | 0.21 | -8 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 2,657 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 Papageorge 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 | #35,622 | #38,279 | -7.5% |
| Count | 631 | 623 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.21 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Papageorge bearers went from 631 to 623 (-1.3% change). The surname moved down 2,657 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,622 to #38,279.
FAQ
Papageorge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Papageorge?
Name Census estimates that about 714 living Americans carry the surname Papageorge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 480,048 residents.
How common is Papageorge?
Papageorge ranks #38,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 623 people with the surname Papageorge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (714), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Papageorge.
Has Papageorge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Papageorge went from 631 recorded bearers to 623. That is a decrease of 8 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,622 to #38,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Papageorge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Papageorge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Papageorge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (567 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Papageorge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.1%), Black (1.9%). 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 Papageorge (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 Papageorge mean?
A Greek surname derived from "papas" meaning priest and "Georgios" meaning farmer or cultivator. 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 Papageorge (0.21 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 Papageorge?
You can see how many people have the last name Papageorge on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.