Explore the Family Name Pae

The meaning of Pae

Korean: written 배, in Chinese characters 裵. This is the only Chinese character for the surname Pae. The only documented Pae clan is that of Kyŏngju. The founding ancestor of the Kyŏngju Pae clan, Ki-t’a or Chi T’a (祗 沱), was one of the six elders who established Pak Hyŏkkŏse as the Shilla kingdom’s first king. In 56 AD, in recognition of his support, the Shilla king Yuri Isagŭm (24–57 AD) bestowed upon Ki T’a the surname Pae (裵). However, nothing more is known about his descendants. Compare Bae 1, Bai 3, and Pai 2. Some characteristic forenames: Korean Yong, Sung, Young, Kyung, Sang Suk, Yoon, Yun, Chae, Chang Ho, Chang Hui, Chee, Chun, Chong, Chang, Seong, Sung-Hoon, Byung Kyu, Chong Ho, Chong Hun, Eun Hee, Hae, Jae Hong, Jae Kun, Jae Sik.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Pae in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Pae has seen a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Pae was the 21,565th most popular surname, but it climbed slightly to the 21,348th position in 2010, marking a change of 1.01%. The number of individuals carrying this surname also increased during this period, from 1,128 in 2000 to 1,227 in 2010, an improvement of 8.78%. However, when compared to the overall population, the proportion of people with the Pae surname remained stable at 0.42 per 100,000 people.

20002010Change
Rank#21,565#21,3481.01%
Count1,1281,2278.78%
Proportion per 100k0.420.420%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pae

The ethnic identity associated with the Pae surname, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, is predominantly Asian/Pacific Islander, accounting for over 78% in both 2000 and 2010, with a slight increase of 0.82% over the decade. The percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as two or more races also rose significantly, by 22.56% between 2000 and 2010. The White and Hispanic populations with the Pae surname saw changes of -4.61% and +31.13%, respectively, during this interval. It's worth noting that no individuals identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in the 2010 census.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander78.01%78.65%0.82%
White18.88%18.01%-4.61%
Two or More Races1.33%1.63%22.56%
Hispanic1.06%1.39%31.13%
Black0.71%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%