The Pahl surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,864 people carried this name — #8,518 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 76,300 people counted. That is down 10% from 4,303 in 2000.

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In Argentina’s national register

At least 150 people named Pahl live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Misiones.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Misiones 63
Santa Fe 37
Córdoba 30
Buenos Aires Province 20

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Poland’s population register

104 people named Pahl have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 142 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 9 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Greater Poland 35
Lower Silesian 14
Lesser Poland 14
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 10
Warmian-Masurian 10
Lubusz 9
Silesian 8
Masovian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

53 people named Pahl live in Switzerland.

They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 11
Aargau 9
Bern 9
Graubünden 8
Vaud 7
Geneva 3
St. Gallen 3
Schaffhausen 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 22 people named Pahl.

5 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 5
Paris 11
Bouches-du-Rhône 1
Meurthe-et-Moselle 1
Moselle 1
Bas-Rhin 1
Var 1
Seine-Saint-Denis 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

41 people named Pahl is counted in Finland.

Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Finland (2026) 41

Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Pahl in American newspapers,
1893–1928.

Newspaper page from Los Angeles Herald carrying the name Pahl
Los Angeles Herald 1910-05-18
Newspaper page from Bridgeton Pioneer carrying the name Pahl
Bridgeton Pioneer 1893-05-04
Newspaper page from The Arkansas Farmer carrying the name Pahl
The Arkansas Farmer 1928-11-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 23,000 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pahl in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1990s.

1,861 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pahl. The most, 465, date from the 1940s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 6.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 1,356
Victoria 165
Queensland 134
Western Australia 105
New South Wales 85
ACT (Canberra) 12
Tasmania 3

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

Who carried it

People named Pahl,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Johann Gottfried Pahl
    Johann Gottfried Pahl 1768–1839 · writer
  • Georg Pahl
    Georg Pahl 1900–1963 · photographer
  • Christian Pahl 1799–1853 · pedagogue
  • Louis P. Pahl 1833–1891 · politician
  • Franz Pahl 1861– · mathematician
  • Hermine Pahl 1880–1944

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pahl,
in the records of 9 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 States819 records

819 records of the Pahl name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 537
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 92
  • Other U.S. records 190
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Karl H. Pahl

    Born 1910 in Germany. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; mechanic from Kings County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1978, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Pennsylvania from Hamburg, aged 20; dressmaker. From Pasteka, Russia. Born in Paszek, Russia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ronald G. Pahl

    Born 1947; from Michigan City, Indiana. U.S. Army, tactical wire operations specialist; killed in action 1968 in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 819 records for Pahl in the United States.

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

Germany875 records

875 records of the Pahl name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 862
  • German emigration and citizenship files 13
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Otto Pahl

    Born 1886; from Berlin. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 2 October 1916; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 30 December 1916; then reported wounded in the list of 2 May 1918 (Jäger Battalion No. 5).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Wilhelm Pahl

    Left Schopfheim for Akron, Ohio in 1870.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Heinrich Ferdinand Pahl

    Emigrated to North America in 1856.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)

Showing 3 of 875 records for Pahl in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Australia84 records

84 records of the Pahl name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 38
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 27
  • Other Australian records 19
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record August Pahl

    Arrived in Queensland in 1880 aboard the Dunbar Castle, aged 20.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Christian J. Pahl

    Laborer of Cosgrove, Victoria; died 1942.

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

    Died 1915 in Launceston, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 84 records for Pahl in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands39 records

39 records of the Pahl name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 24
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 14
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Agnes Pahl

    Married in 1841 in Amsterdam; domestic servant.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Albert Karl Pahl

    Married in 1933 in Born; carpenter, born 1898 in Peckelsheim, Germany.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Agnes Maria Pahl

    Died 1890 in Driebergen, aged 79.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 39 records for Pahl in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada11 records

11 records of the Pahl name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 8
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Brian Robert Pahl

    Buried in 1990 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 35.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record David Pahl

    Buried in 1979 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 2 of 11 records for Pahl in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

France11 records

11 records of the Pahl name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Georges Andre Pahl

    Born 1918 in Drancy (Paris); died 1973 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Christiane Pahl

    Born 1957 in Vaudigny (Meurthe-et-Moselle); died 1991 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Pierre Louis Pahl

    Born 1925 in Champigny-sur-Marne (Paris); died 1988 in Champigny-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Pahl in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Pahl name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Wilfred Pahl

    Died 1934, aged 29; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: 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).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Pahl name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Anders Magnus Pahl

    Census of 1910: Ny England no, Tune; pulp mill worker, born 1872 in Dalsland.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Finland1 record

1 record of the Pahl name in Finland Finland's war dead, 1939–1945
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Toimi Artturi Pahl

    Born 1916 in Nurmijärvi; farmer. Died in 1941 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Nurmijärvi.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pahl.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pahl 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.

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