The Packard surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,494 people carried this name — #3,733 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 31,100 people counted. That is up 1% from 9,409 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Packard surname

Genealogy websites offer three or four hypotheses about the surname; none is confirmed.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Packard» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

106 families named Packard, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 584 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 75
Vermont 12
Maine 9
New Hampshire 6
Rhode Island 3
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 256 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Packard in American newspapers,
1897–1919.

Newspaper page from Evening Journal carrying the name Packard
Evening Journal 1897-07-21
Newspaper page from Evening Times-republican carrying the name Packard
Evening Times-republican 1919-04-29
Newspaper page from Saturday News carrying the name Packard
Saturday News 1913-03-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,070 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Packard in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

6,006 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Packard. The most, 884, date from the 1890s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 4.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 3,622
Western Australia 843
New South Wales 560
Queensland 365
Victoria 302
ACT (Canberra) 157
Tasmania 112
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Packard.

Who carried it

People named Packard,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Alpheus Spring Packard, Sr.
    Alpheus Spring Packard, Sr. 1798–1884 · librarian
  • Timothy Fairbanks Packard
    Timothy Fairbanks Packard 1812–1879 · politician
  • Ada Elizabeth Packard d. 1898
  • Charles E. Packard d. 1970 · botanist
  • Isaac Packard 1737–1795
  • Joseph Packard 1780–1864

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Packard,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States931 records

931 records of the Packard name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 364
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 217
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 164
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 82
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 61
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 29
  • Sacramento County historic burials 8
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 5
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Frank Packard

    Born 1946; from Ridgewood, New York. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1966 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Virgil S. Packard

    Born 1906 in Washington. Enlisted 1942 at San Francisco, California; conductor. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1986, buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Polly Packard

    Arrived at New York in 1825 aboard the Bayard from Havre, aged 22; carpenter.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 931 records for Packard in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia33 records

33 records of the Packard name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 28
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 2
  • Tasmanian Names Index 1
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John H. Packard

    Surveyor of South Aus, Victoria; died 1929.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Denys Packard

    Arrived in Victoria in 1903 aboard the Rhein, aged 18.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Packard

    Died 1883 in Deloraine, Tasmania, aged 76.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 33 records for Packard in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Packard name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 3
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Raymond Packard

    Buried in 1973 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 67.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Tui Frances Packard

    Died 1937, aged 40; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Erwan Packard

    Died 1981, aged 63; buried at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Packard in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Canada3 records

3 records of the Packard name in Canada Nova Scotia Archives name indexes
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Dudley Judson Packard

    Died 1956 in Wolfville, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Elizabeth Packard

    Died 1936 in Earltown, Colchester, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Rosanda Pearl Gardner Packard

    Born 1895 in Truro, Colchester, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Packard name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Packard

    West Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Packard

    King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. S. Packard

    Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Packard.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Packard is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Packard volume
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