2000
#11,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,587
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Pauls
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Paul, meaning "small" or "humble" in Latin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,615 Americans carry the last name Pauls. That puts it at #12,893 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pauls 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 Pauls with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,072
Census rank
#12,893
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,280 bearers of the surname Pauls in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12893rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pauls, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pauls
The surname Pauls originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the given name Paul, which itself comes from the Latin name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble." The name likely became a surname during the Middle Ages when it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their given names.
Pauls is believed to have first appeared in the county of Yorkshire, where it was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. These early records were primarily used for tax purposes, suggesting that the Pauls family had already established themselves in the region by that time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Pauls, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. The Assize Rolls were legal records that documented court proceedings and disputes, indicating that John Pauls was likely a person of some significance or property owner.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Paulis, Paulys, and Pawles, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that period. The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey conducted in England, lists a William Paulis residing in Oxfordshire.
One notable bearer of the Pauls surname was Sir George Pauls, a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Yarmouth in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in 1554 and played a significant role in the maritime affairs of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Pauls, who lived in the 17th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire. He was born in 1612 and was known for his involvement in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
In the 18th century, the Pauls surname was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire. One notable bearer from this period was John Pauls, a merchant and philanthropist born in 1720 in Bristol. He contributed to the construction of several churches and charitable institutions in the city.
The Pauls surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Paulers Pury in Northamptonshire and Paulerspury in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from early settlers with the Pauls surname or variations thereof.
Throughout its history, the Pauls surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, politicians, and philanthropists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pauls
Among Census respondents with the surname Pauls, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pauls 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 Pauls surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 1,920
- Black or African American7.9% · 180
- Two or more races3.6% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pauls
Pauls 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
#10,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,958
+371 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 450 places
2020
#12,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,280
-678 bearers (-22.9%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 2,111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,232 | 2,587 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,782 | 2,958 | 1.00 | +371 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 450 places |
| 2020 | #12,893 | 2,280 | 0.76 | -678 bearers (-22.9%) | Down 2,111 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 Pauls 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 | #10,782 | #12,893 | -19.6% |
| Count | 2,958 | 2,280 | -22.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.76 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pauls bearers went from 2,958 to 2,280 (-22.9% change). The surname moved down 2,111 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,782 to #12,893.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pauls
FAQ
Pauls surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pauls?
Name Census estimates that about 2,615 living Americans carry the surname Pauls. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,072 residents.
How common is Pauls?
Pauls ranks #12,893 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,280 people with the surname Pauls. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,615), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pauls.
Has Pauls become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pauls went from 2,958 recorded bearers to 2,280. That is a decrease of 678 (-22.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,782 to #12,893.
What does the Census say about the background of Pauls?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pauls, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) 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 Pauls in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (1,920 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pauls appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Black (7.9%), 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 Pauls (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 Pauls mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Paul, meaning "small" or "humble" in Latin. 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 Pauls (0.76 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 Pauls?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Pauls is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.