Explore the Family Name Pascal
The meaning of Pascal
1. French, West Indian (mainly Haiti), and Mauritian: from the French personal name Pascal, from Latin Paschalis (see Paschal). 2. English: variant of Paschal. 3. American shortened and altered form of Greek Paschalis (see Paschal) or of its patronymics and other derivatives. 4. Italian: variant of Pascale; see Pasquale. History: Nicolas Pascal/Paschal dit Comtois from Percey-le-Grand in Haute-Saône, France, married Marie-Jeanne Gour in Saint-Sulpice, QC, in 1734. Some characteristic forenames: French/Haitian Andre, Camille, Jean Claude, Pierre, Benedicte, Berthony, Fernande, Francois, Georges, Jean-Pierre, Ketly, Maryse.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pascal in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Pascal significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Pascal was ranked at 11,340 in terms of prevalence but by 2010 it had risen to a ranking of 10,314 — an increase of 9.05%. The actual count of individuals with the Pascal surname also increased during this time, from 2,555 to 3,124, marking a growth rate of 22.27%. Moreover, when looking at the proportion of people named Pascal per 100,000 residents, there was an uptick from 0.95 in 2000 to 1.06 in 2010, an upsurge of 11.58%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,340 | #10,314 | 9.05% |
| Count | 2,555 | 3,124 | 22.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.95 | 1.06 | 11.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pascal
The ethnic identity associated with the Pascal surname also experienced some changes between 2000 and 2010, as reflected in the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 56.09% identified as White which dropped to 47.09% in 2010, a decrease of 16.05%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black rose from 29.16% to 38.09%, indicating a substantial increase of 30.62%. Hispanic representation also saw a small rise of 12.20%, moving from 9.67% in 2000 to 10.85% in 2010. Additionally, the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders grew from 1.14% to 1.47%, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives from 0.47% to 0.54%. However, those identifying with two or more races decreased from 3.48% to 1.95%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 56.09% | 47.09% | -16.05% |
| Black | 29.16% | 38.09% | 30.62% |
| Hispanic | 9.67% | 10.85% | 12.2% |
| Two or More Races | 3.48% | 1.95% | -43.97% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.14% | 1.47% | 28.95% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.47% | 0.54% | 14.89% |
Pascal ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Pascal is French & German, which comprises 20.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (19.8%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (15.9%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, Eastern European, and Greek & Balkan.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 20.5% |
| British & Irish | 19.8% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 15.9% |
| Other | 43.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Pascal
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Pascal have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 33.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 33.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 33.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 33.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 33.30% |
What Pascal haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Pascal is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-M172 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Reinert, Kraemer, Marti, Durrant, Arriola, Xavier, Leiva, Furtado, Sanabria, Behr.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pascal surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Pascal have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Vanilla Ice Cream
Prefers vanilla flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Pascal" Surname 55.6%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Pascal" Surname 58.8%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Pascal" Surname 20.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Pascal?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Pascal are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition