Explore the Family Name Pastorius
The meaning of Pastorius
German: humanistic surname, a translation into Latin of Schäfer (see Schafer) or any other surname meaning ‘shepherd’. Compare Pastor. This surname is not found in Germany, anymore. History: Franz (Francis) Daniel Pastorius (1651–1719), from Sommershausen near Frankfurt, Germany, was the leader of a group of Mennonites who arrived in Philadelphia, PA, in 1683, one of the earliest German-speaking groups of immigrants to North America. Under his leadership plans were made for the city of Germantown, PA, of which he became mayor in 1691. He was one of the signers of the first Quaker protest against slavery in America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pastorius in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Pastorius has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the surname dropped from 32,380 to 33,856, marking a 4.56% decrease in its popularity. However, the count or number of people with this surname remained relatively stable, with a minor increment of 0.3% from 670 to 672. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the Pastorius surname per 100k people also experienced a decrease of 8.0% from 0.25 to 0.23.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,380 | #33,856 | -4.56% |
| Count | 670 | 672 | 0.3% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.25 | 0.23 | -8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pastorius
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that the majority of those carrying the Pastorius surname identify as White, although there was a slight decrease from 97.46% in 2000 to 96.73% in 2010. The percentage identifying as Hispanic witnessed an increase of 29.53% during the same period, rising from 1.49% to 1.93%. There was a marginal decrease in those claiming two or more races, down by 1.11% from 0.90% to 0.89%. The census reported no change in Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities associated with this surname. All these figures were recorded as zero in both 2000 and 2010, indicating no individuals with the Pastorius surname identified with these ethnic groups within the given timeframe.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.46% | 96.73% | -0.75% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 1.93% | 29.53% |
| Two or More Races | 0.9% | 0.89% | -1.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |