Explore the Family Name Papas
The meaning of Papas
Greek: status name from papas ‘priest’ or a (usually American) shortened form of any of numerous Greek patronymics beginning with Papa- (see e.g. Papageorgiou, compare Papa). In the Orthodox Church priests are allowed to marry and have children, so there is nothing unusual about this term having become a surname. Compare Pappas. Some characteristic forenames: Greek Constantine, Costas, Andreas, Spiros, Emilios, Georgios, Ourania, Rigas, Sotiris, Spiro, Takis, Tasos.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Papas in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Papas saw a slight decline in ranking from 2000 to 2010, moving from 20,589th place to 20,687th. However, the number of individuals with this surname increased by almost 7%, from 1,196 in 2000 to 1,279 in 2010. Despite this growth, the proportion per 100,000 people slightly decreased by 2.27%, indicating that the overall population growth outpaced the increase in individuals named Papas.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,589 | #20,687 | -0.48% |
| Count | 1,196 | 1,279 | 6.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.44 | 0.43 | -2.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Papas
In terms of ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals with the Papas surname identify as White, making up 90.07% of all Papas in 2010, a slight decrease of 0.90% from 2000. The second most common ethnicity associated with the surname is Asian/Pacific Islander, increasing by 33.53% over the decade to make up 4.46% of all Papas. Those identifying as Hispanic made up 3.13% in 2010, a marginal increase from 2000. People of two or more races accounted for 1.64%, showing a decrease of 21.53%. In both 2000 and 2010, the percentages of those who identify as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native were either too small or suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.89% | 90.07% | -0.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.34% | 4.46% | 33.53% |
| Hispanic | 3.09% | 3.13% | 1.29% |
| Two or More Races | 2.09% | 1.64% | -21.53% |
| Black | 0.59% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |