NameCensus.

UK surname

Pace

An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who acted as a mediator or peace-keeper.

In the 1881 census there were 1,332 people recorded with the Pace surname, ranking it #3,080 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,411, ranked #2,732, up from #3,080 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Sandwell and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pace is 2,457 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.0%.

1881 census count

1,332

Ranked #3,080

Modern count

2,411

2016, ranked #2,732

Peak year

2010

2,457 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pace had 1,332 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,080 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,411 in 2016, ranked #2,732.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,745 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Pace surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pace surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pace surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pace over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 826 #3,269
1861 historical 858 #3,225
1881 historical 1,332 #3,080
1891 historical 1,395 #3,120
1901 historical 1,634 #3,159
1911 historical 1,745 #2,814
1997 modern 2,235 #2,774
1998 modern 2,356 #2,753
1999 modern 2,344 #2,780
2000 modern 2,348 #2,762
2001 modern 2,279 #2,776
2002 modern 2,343 #2,773
2003 modern 2,264 #2,788
2004 modern 2,250 #2,805
2005 modern 2,241 #2,785
2006 modern 2,247 #2,779
2007 modern 2,277 #2,768
2008 modern 2,300 #2,769
2009 modern 2,397 #2,733
2010 modern 2,457 #2,734
2011 modern 2,390 #2,765
2012 modern 2,392 #2,722
2013 modern 2,421 #2,738
2014 modern 2,446 #2,730
2015 modern 2,411 #2,737
2016 modern 2,411 #2,732

Geography

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Where Paces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Sandwell, Cheshire East and Cardiff. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
2 Sandwell 004 Sandwell
3 Cheshire East 033 Cheshire East
4 Sandwell 039 Sandwell
5 Cardiff 039 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pace

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pace surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pace

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pace, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Pace surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Pace household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pace is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pace is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pace falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pace is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pace, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pace

The surname Pace is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin word "pax" meaning peace. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, potentially as a nickname for someone with a calm and peaceful demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the Pace surname can be traced back to the 13th century in regions such as Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. The name is also found in historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as tax records and property deeds.

One notable historical figure bearing the Pace surname was Giovanni Battista Pace (1555-1637), an Italian mathematician and astronomer. He is best known for his work on the construction of sundials and his contributions to the study of optics.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Pietro Pace (1472-1514), an Italian humanist and scholar. He served as a secretary to Pope Leo X and was renowned for his Latin translations of Greek works.

In the 16th century, the Pace family held significant influence in the Republic of Venice. Antonio Pace (1503-1570) was a Venetian senator and ambassador, known for his diplomatic efforts in negotiating peace treaties.

The Pace surname also has historical ties to the island of Sicily, where it was particularly prevalent. One notable Sicilian with this name was Francesco Pace (1808-1882), a politician and writer who played a role in the Risorgimento movement for Italian unification.

In the realm of art, the Italian painter Giuseppe Pace (1679-1738) gained recognition for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning churches in Rome and Naples.

While the surname Pace has its origins in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration. However, it remains deeply rooted in its Italian heritage, reflecting the historical significance and contributions of individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pace families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pace surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 211 Paces recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.81x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 211 4.81x
Durham 142 3.67x
Middlesex 127 0.98x
Surrey 120 1.89x
Cheshire 107 3.73x
Warwickshire 67 2.04x
Shropshire 65 5.79x
Hampshire 64 2.40x
Northumberland 61 3.15x
Lancashire 59 0.38x
Kent 52 1.17x
Yorkshire 43 0.33x
Midlothian 30 1.72x
Worcestershire 25 1.47x
Gloucestershire 15 0.59x
Sussex 13 0.59x
Derbyshire 11 0.54x
Berkshire 10 1.02x
East Lothian 9 5.23x
Leicestershire 9 0.62x
Suffolk 9 0.57x
Angus 8 0.66x
Essex 8 0.31x
Flintshire 6 1.72x
Northamptonshire 6 0.49x
Norfolk 5 0.25x
Roxburghshire 5 2.12x
Royal Navy 5 3.23x
Selkirkshire 5 4.25x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.49x
Dorset 4 0.47x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.14x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.23x
Lanarkshire 3 0.07x
Wigtownshire 3 1.74x
Denbighshire 2 0.41x
Somerset 2 0.10x
Wiltshire 2 0.17x
Argyllshire 1 0.28x
Brecknockshire 1 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.13x
Cornwall 1 0.07x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.41x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Renfrewshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Willenhall in Staffordshire leads with 50 Paces recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.82x.

Place Total Index
Willenhall 50 60.82x
West Bromwich 32 12.73x
Lambeth 23 2.03x
Birmingham 21 1.92x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 7.64x
Wolstanton 20 15.00x
Whitchurch 17 77.98x
Dawdon 16 33.63x
Hackney London 15 2.06x
Monkwearmouth Shore 15 19.86x
Tanworth 15 173.01x
Westgate 15 12.52x
Battersea 14 2.93x
Church Minshull 14 833.33x
Stranton 14 10.75x
Collierley 13 75.45x
Tottenham 13 6.28x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 12 94.19x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 1.71x
Shoreditch London 12 2.13x
Wednesbury 12 10.94x
West Tisted 12 1538.46x
Wingate 12 45.25x
Croydon 11 3.13x
Feckenham 11 56.61x
Seaton Delaval 11 64.74x
St Pancras London 11 1.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 2.36x
Tanfield 11 23.91x
Aston 10 1.11x
Camberwell 10 1.20x
Islington London 10 0.79x
Kyo 10 54.91x
Leek Lowe 10 17.12x
Tonbridge 10 6.25x
Willaston In Nantwich 10 112.87x
Bradford 9 2.89x
Derby St Werburgh 9 7.66x
Finchley 9 18.05x
Gateshead 9 3.11x
Leeds 9 1.24x
Odd Rode 9 63.29x
Ormiston 9 196.94x
Preston Next Wingham 9 452.26x
Rotherhithe 9 5.60x
Altrincham 8 15.95x
Blackfordby 8 173.91x
Burslem 8 6.36x
Cramond 8 60.61x
Dundee 8 1.78x
Newmarket St Mary 8 65.79x
Shareshill Hilton 8 457.14x
Thornaby 8 16.61x
Upper Penn 8 72.79x
Weaver 8 1290.32x
Wellington 8 12.67x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.24x
Cannock 7 9.14x
Edmonton 7 6.68x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 4.18x
Horton 7 73.22x
Madeley 7 16.99x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 6.98x
Pattingham 7 380.43x
Southwick 7 19.10x
St Giles In Fields 7 15.61x
Stapleton 7 14.47x
Wandsworth 7 5.59x
Aughton 6 39.27x
Boarhunt 6 468.75x
Claverley 6 79.16x
Folkestone 6 6.97x
Linthorpe 6 7.80x
Macclesfield 6 4.70x
Millbrook 6 8.94x
Oldham 6 1.20x
Over 6 20.57x
Reigate Foreign 6 8.75x
Rhuddlan 6 19.50x
Widnes 6 5.39x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pace surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 81
Elizabeth 50
Sarah 41
Ann 29
Hannah 27
Emma 22
Annie 19
Eliza 18
Emily 17
Alice 16
Ellen 16
Margaret 16
Jane 14
Martha 13
Fanny 12
Ada 10
Charlotte 10
Clara 10
Harriet 10
Edith 9
Catherine 8
Maria 8
Florence 7
Frances 7
Louisa 7
Agnes 6
Rose 6
Rosina 6
Amy 5
Caroline 5
Isabella 5
Lucy 5
Matilda 5
Susannah 5
Anne 4
Eleanor 4
Harriett 4
Julia 4
Lizzie 4
Sophia 4
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Gertrude 3
Infant 3
Laura 3
Minnie 3
Ruth 3
Selina 3
Bertha 2
Rachel 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pace surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 78
John 59
Thomas 52
George 50
Henry 39
Charles 29
James 23
Alfred 20
Robert 20
Joseph 16
Richard 16
Arthur 15
Edward 13
Frederick 11
Samuel 10
Walter 8
Albert 7
Ernest 7
Frank 7
Daniel 6
Herbert 6
Enoch 5
Harry 5
Stephen 5
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Francis 3
Joshua 3
Thos. 3
Cuthbert 2
David 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Edwd. 2
Edwin 2
Emanuel 2
Fredrick 2
Guiseppe 2
Harold 2
Jabez 2
Jeremiah 2
Jesse 2
Percy 2
Piercy 2
Ralph 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
Elliott 1

FAQ

Pace surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pace surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,332 people were recorded with the Pace surname. That placed it at #3,080 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pace surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,411 in 2016. That gives Pace a modern rank of #2,732.

What does the Pace surname mean?

An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who acted as a mediator or peace-keeper.

What does the Pace map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pace bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.