UK surname
Derived from a place name meaning "Pada's valley" in Old English, referring to an early settler or inhabitant.
In the 1881 census there were 100 people recorded with the Paden surname, ranking it #19,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 58, ranked #34,457, down from #19,750 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Inveresk, Sunderland and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paden is 100 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 42.0%.
1881 census count
100
Ranked #19,750
Modern count
58
2016, ranked #34,457
Peak year
1881
100 bearers
Map years
1
1881 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Paden surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Paden surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 72 | #20,720 |
| 1861 | historical | 79 | #23,702 |
| 1881 | historical | 100 | #19,750 |
| 1891 | historical | 82 | #26,494 |
| 1901 | historical | 58 | #27,724 |
| 1911 | historical | 36 | #29,370 |
| 1997 | modern | 51 | #32,545 |
| 1998 | modern | 57 | #32,226 |
| 1999 | modern | 59 | #32,174 |
| 2000 | modern | 53 | #32,805 |
| 2001 | modern | 49 | #33,048 |
| 2002 | modern | 55 | #32,831 |
| 2003 | modern | 51 | #33,266 |
| 2004 | modern | 49 | #33,647 |
| 2005 | modern | 49 | #33,859 |
| 2006 | modern | 51 | #33,992 |
| 2007 | modern | 53 | #34,115 |
| 2008 | modern | 54 | #34,232 |
| 2009 | modern | 52 | #34,544 |
| 2010 | modern | 52 | #34,726 |
| 2011 | modern | 53 | #34,630 |
| 2012 | modern | 55 | #34,565 |
| 2013 | modern | 61 | #34,317 |
| 2014 | modern | 62 | #34,281 |
| 2015 | modern | 61 | #34,284 |
| 2016 | modern | 58 | #34,457 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Inveresk, Sunderland, Hull Holy Trinity, Newcastle All Saints and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inveresk | Edinburgh |
| 2 | Sunderland | Durham |
| 3 | Hull Holy Trinity | Yorkshire, East Riding |
| 4 | Newcastle All Saints | Northumberland |
| 5 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Paden surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Paden, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Paden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Paden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Paden is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Paden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Paden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Paden originated in the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada, now the area of Argyll and Bute. It is a habitation name derived from the Gaelic word "paidean," meaning hummock or small green knoll. This suggests that the name arose from a place where the original bearer lived near such a feature.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the year 1546, when Donald Padyane is mentioned in the "Records of Argyll." Another early record shows John Padene in the "Register of the Great Seal of Scotland" in 1599. These early spellings indicate the name's Scottish origins.
In the late 16th century, the name is recorded in the "Exchequer Rolls of Scotland," which were administrative and financial records of the Scottish royal household. This suggests that members of the Paden family held a position of some importance during this period.
A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Paden, a Scottish soldier and landowner who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence and was granted lands in Ayrshire for his service.
Another significant figure was Robert Paden, a Scottish merchant and trader who lived in the late 17th century. He was involved in the lucrative trade between Scotland and the Netherlands, and his business dealings helped to establish the Paden name in Dutch records of the time.
In the 18th century, the Paden family spread to Ireland, where variations of the name such as Padden and Paddyn became common. One notable Irish bearer of the name was Michael Paden, a prominent landowner and politician in County Donegal who lived from 1732 to 1812.
As the name spread beyond Scotland, it also found its way to the British colonies in North America. One of the earliest recorded Padens in America was John Paden, a Scottish immigrant who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century.
Over the centuries, the Paden surname has been carried by many individuals of note, including writers, artists, and military figures. Despite its Scottish origins, it has become a surname found throughout the English-speaking world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paden surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Midlothian leads with 31 Padens recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.72x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Midlothian | 31 | 23.72x |
| Ayrshire | 17 | 23.29x |
| Yorkshire | 11 | 1.14x |
| Renfrewshire | 8 | 10.58x |
| East Lothian | 6 | 46.44x |
| Northumberland | 6 | 4.13x |
| Fife | 5 | 8.66x |
| Lanarkshire | 4 | 1.27x |
| Derbyshire | 2 | 1.31x |
| Lancashire | 2 | 0.17x |
| Middlesex | 2 | 0.21x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.46x |
| Dunbartonshire | 1 | 3.82x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.34x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.50x |
| Lincolnshire | 1 | 0.64x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.30x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maybole in Ayrshire leads with 14 Padens recorded in 1881 and an index of 630.63x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Maybole | 14 | 630.63x |
| West Greenock | 8 | 58.95x |
| Mid Calder | 7 | 1228.07x |
| Sutton Stoneferry | 7 | 252.71x |
| West Calder | 7 | 271.32x |
| Cramond | 6 | 606.06x |
| Haddington | 6 | 314.14x |
| Ratho | 6 | 983.61x |
| Wallsend | 6 | 130.43x |
| Glasgow | 4 | 7.14x |
| Kirkcaldy | 4 | 139.86x |
| New Cumnock | 3 | 236.22x |
| South Leith | 3 | 20.41x |
| Derby St Werburgh | 2 | 22.68x |
| Inveresk | 2 | 56.50x |
| Leeds | 2 | 3.66x |
| St Marylebone London | 2 | 3.84x |
| Toxteth Park | 2 | 5.10x |
| Aldershot | 1 | 14.93x |
| Donington | 1 | 178.57x |
| Gateshead | 1 | 4.60x |
| Kinglassie | 1 | 227.27x |
| Malpas | 1 | 312.50x |
| Middlesbrough | 1 | 7.94x |
| Roseneath | 1 | 200.00x |
| Sculcoates | 1 | 6.52x |
| Walsall Foreign | 1 | 5.88x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Paden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Paden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Paden households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 3 |
| Hawker | 2 |
| Boiler Maker | 1 |
| Bricklayer | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Cotton Operative | 1 |
| Field Lab | 1 |
| General Lab | 1 |
| General Serv Dom | 1 |
| Genr Labr | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Labourer Pensal | 1 |
| Lance Corporal | 1 |
| Lodging Housekeeper | 1 |
| Nightwatchman | 1 |
| Plasterer | 1 |
| Rivet Heater Ship Yard | 1 |
| Scavenger | 1 |
| Shipwright | 1 |
| Stone Mason | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 100 people were recorded with the Paden surname. That placed it at #19,750 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 58 in 2016. That gives Paden a modern rank of #34,457.
Derived from a place name meaning "Pada's valley" in Old English, referring to an early settler or inhabitant.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Paden bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.