History of your Surname
Get access to Papa family records.Start a free trial

Papa Family History

Papa Name Meaning

Italian: nickname from papa ‘father cleric pope’. In southern Italy it is generally a nickname for someone thought to resemble a priest or in some cases for the illegitimate child of a priest but in the North it is more often a nickname meaning ‘pope’ denoting a vain or pompous man. In some parts of Calabria the term is also signifies ‘uncle’. American shortened form (and Greek feminine form denoting ‘the daughter or wife of’) of Greek Papas ‘priest’ and of patronymics beginning with Papa- for example Papageorgiou . Albanian (mainly southern): status name from regional papa a title for an Orthodox priest ultimately derived from Greek pappas ‘father’; or in part an adaptation of the cognate Greek surname Papas . Hungarian (Pápa): probably from the old personal name Pápa but in some cases possibly a habitational name from a place called Pápa in Veszprém County. West Frisian and Dutch: variant of Papma itself a variant of Popma ‘descendants of Poppe’ from an ancient Germanic personal name Poppo (see Popp ). English and French: variant of Pape .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Pape, Apa, Papas, Papi, Popa, Pala, Papp, Papay, Raba, Rapa

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Papa family from?

You can see how Papa families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Papa family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Papa families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 6 Papa families living in Northwest Territories. This was about 46% of all the recorded Papa's in Canada. Northwest Territories and 1 other province had the highest population of Papa families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Papa surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Papa ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Machine Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Papa. 24% of Papa men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Papa women worked as a Machine Operator. Some less common occupations for Americans named Papa were Clerk and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Papa | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    24%
  • New Worker
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    5%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Machine Operator
    8%
  • Operator
    8%
  • Housewife
    8%
  • Clerk
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Papa family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Papa. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Papa census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Papa

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Papa. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Papa immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Papa. For the veterans among your Papa ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Papa military records

You've only scratched the surface of Papa family history

Discover More

What is the average Papa lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Papa life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Papa in 1944 was 50, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Papa

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Papa family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Papa last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial