Explore the Family Name Pastor
The meaning of Pastor
1. English, French, Portuguese, Galician, Spanish, and Catalan: occupational name for a shepherd, Anglo-Norman French pastre (oblique case pastour), Old French, Portuguese, Galician, Spanish, and Catalan pastor ‘shepherd’, from Latin pastor, an agent derivative of pascere ‘to graze’. The religious sense of a spiritual leader was rare in the Middle Ages; it is unlikely, therefore, that this sense lies behind any examples of the surname. 2. German and Dutch: humanistic surname, a translation into Latin of German Schäfer (see Schafer) or any other surname meaning ‘shepherd’. Compare Pastorius. 3. Americanized form of Hungarian Pásztor: occupational name from pásztor ‘shepherd’. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Carlos, Jose, Luis, Mario, Fernando, Mariano, Pedro, Ricardo, Santiago, Sergio, Alfonso.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pastor in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Pastor increased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Pastor was ranked 5,171st in prevalence and by 2010, it rose to the 4,642nd position, marking a growth of 10.23%. The number of people sharing this surname also surged from 6,214 in 2000 to 7,647 in 2010, representing a substantial increase of 23.06%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Pastor per 100,000 population went up from 2.3 to 2.59 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,171 | #4,642 | 10.23% |
| Count | 6,214 | 7,647 | 23.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.3 | 2.59 | 12.61% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pastor
The ethnicity breakdown of individuals with the Pastor surname also presents an interesting picture based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a notable shift in the distribution of ethnic identities. While the Hispanic representation grew substantially from 36.19% to 47.01%, the percentage of White individuals dropped from 54.07% to 43.40%. Similarly, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander modestly increased from 6.37% to 6.71%, whereas the proportions of Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and individuals reporting two or more races decreased slightly.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 36.19% | 47.01% | 29.9% |
| White | 54.07% | 43.4% | -19.73% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 6.37% | 6.71% | 5.34% |
| Black | 1.9% | 1.78% | -6.32% |
| Two or More Races | 1.35% | 1.01% | -25.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.11% | 0.09% | -18.18% |
Pastor 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 Pastor is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 22.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (19.7%) and French & German (13.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Indigenous American, Italian, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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 |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 22.4% |
| British & Irish | 19.7% |
| French & German | 13.1% |
| Other | 44.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Pastor
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 Pastor have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 43.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 43.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 43.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 43.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 43.10% |
What Pastor 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 Pastor is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z195 and R-Z282, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Neves, Cabral, Reis, Kohler, Anton, Costa, Andre, Grimm, Wayne, Grande.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pastor surname are: A2, 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 Pastor 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Pastor" Surname 39.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Pastor" Surname 40.7%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Pastor" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Pastor" Surname 16.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Pastor?
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 Pastor are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition