NameCensus.

UK surname

Painter

An occupational surname referring to someone who paints as a profession, such as an artist or decorator.

In the 1881 census there were 4,101 people recorded with the Painter surname, ranking it #1,105 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,523, ranked #1,496, down from #1,105 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Barnsley and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Painter is 5,313 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.3%.

1881 census count

4,101

Ranked #1,105

Modern count

4,523

2016, ranked #1,496

Peak year

1911

5,313 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Painter had 4,101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,105 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,523 in 2016, ranked #1,496.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,313 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Painter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Painter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Painter 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 3,125 #926
1861 historical 2,887 #1,005
1881 historical 4,101 #1,105
1891 historical 4,295 #1,109
1901 historical 4,860 #1,161
1911 historical 5,313 #985
1997 modern 4,867 #1,349
1998 modern 5,076 #1,339
1999 modern 5,053 #1,361
2000 modern 5,023 #1,355
2001 modern 4,848 #1,376
2002 modern 4,977 #1,368
2003 modern 4,865 #1,360
2004 modern 4,808 #1,375
2005 modern 4,660 #1,401
2006 modern 4,597 #1,422
2007 modern 4,615 #1,427
2008 modern 4,631 #1,428
2009 modern 4,739 #1,441
2010 modern 4,797 #1,455
2011 modern 4,721 #1,454
2012 modern 4,602 #1,458
2013 modern 4,682 #1,466
2014 modern 4,676 #1,477
2015 modern 4,572 #1,496
2016 modern 4,523 #1,496

Geography

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Where Painters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Southampton St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, Barnsley, Wiltshire, Vale of White Horse and Shropshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Southampton St Mary Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 012 Swindon
2 Barnsley 006 Barnsley
3 Wiltshire 022 Wiltshire
4 Vale of White Horse 016 Vale of White Horse
5 Shropshire 039 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Painter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Painter

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Painter, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Painter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Painter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Painter 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

Painter is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Painter falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Painter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Painter

The surname Painter is an English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "peintour" and the Middle English word "peintor", meaning a painter or decorator. The name originated in England during the medieval period and referred to someone who painted decorations, especially on buildings or furniture.

The surname Painter is first recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it appears as "Johanne le Peyntour". This early record suggests that the name was already in use by the 13th century. Other early spellings of the name include Peyntor, Paynter, and Painter.

In the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1197, there is a reference to a "William le Peintour", which is one of the earliest known instances of the name. This record indicates that the occupation of painting was well-established in England by the late 12th century.

The surname Painter is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Peintor" in the county of Oxfordshire. This ancient record suggests that the name and occupation were present in England even before the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Painter, a cleric and writer who lived in the late 14th century. He is recorded as the author of a theological work titled "Opusculum de Ecclesia" (Little Work on the Church).

Another notable individual with the surname Painter was William Painter (c. 1540-1594), an English author and translator who is best known for his work "The Palace of Pleasure", a collection of stories translated from various sources.

In the 16th century, there was a family of Painters in the town of Arundel, West Sussex, who were prominent in the local community. One member, John Painter (c. 1520-1580), served as the Mayor of Arundel and was a respected figure in the town.

Robert Painter (c. 1648-1719) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several works, including "A Modest Plea for the Baptismal and Former Ages", published in 1687.

In the 18th century, Thomas Painter (1735-1799) was a prominent English painter and engraver who was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1784.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Painter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Painter 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. Middlesex leads with 528 Painters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 528 1.32x
Staffordshire 324 2.40x
Gloucestershire 289 3.68x
Surrey 285 1.46x
Hampshire 245 2.98x
Lancashire 224 0.47x
Wiltshire 209 5.90x
Shropshire 180 5.20x
Berkshire 145 4.82x
Warwickshire 127 1.26x
Norfolk 125 2.03x
Devon 111 1.33x
Worcestershire 108 2.06x
Dorset 100 3.80x
Somerset 97 1.50x
Oxfordshire 95 3.84x
Buckinghamshire 89 3.67x
Cornwall 86 1.90x
Cheshire 82 0.93x
Derbyshire 72 1.15x
Essex 62 0.78x
Northamptonshire 60 1.59x
Kent 58 0.42x
Glamorgan 57 0.82x
Sussex 45 0.67x
Leicestershire 44 0.99x
Yorkshire 35 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 29 1.14x
Bedfordshire 26 1.25x
Monmouthshire 22 0.76x
Durham 19 0.16x
Fife 17 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.30x
Lincolnshire 15 0.23x
Herefordshire 14 0.85x
Hertfordshire 12 0.43x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.62x
Suffolk 9 0.18x
Royal Navy 7 1.47x
Midlothian 4 0.07x
Channel Islands 3 0.25x
Lanarkshire 3 0.02x
Rutland 3 1.02x
Flintshire 2 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.14x
Banffshire 1 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.07x
East Lothian 1 0.19x
Kinross-shire 1 0.99x
Merionethshire 1 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.11x
Northumberland 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 74 Painters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.91x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 74 1.91x
Southampton St Mary 62 12.00x
Lambeth 61 1.75x
Wolverhampton 54 5.19x
St Pancras London 52 1.61x
Camberwell 46 1.80x
Aston 44 1.58x
Birmingham 44 1.31x
Brill 43 242.12x
St Luke London 43 6.69x
Ashton In Makerfield 38 28.07x
Long Buckby 35 100.40x
Portsea 34 2.11x
St Marylebone London 33 1.54x
Kensington London 31 1.39x
Walsall Foreign 31 4.44x
West Ham 31 1.78x
Newington 30 2.03x
Parr 29 17.05x
Kidderminster Borough 28 9.14x
Swindon 27 9.82x
Kingswinford 26 5.29x
Blandford Forum 25 48.18x
Hammersmith London 25 2.53x
Hankerton 25 536.48x
Smallwood 24 302.65x
Shoreditch London 23 1.32x
South Stoneham 23 12.91x
Brightwaltham 21 357.14x
Ripley 21 27.08x
Wednesbury 21 6.21x
Woburn 21 116.60x
Eling 20 24.04x
Paddington London 20 1.36x
Southwick 20 219.30x
Claverley 19 81.30x
Dudley 19 2.99x
Chelsea London 18 1.49x
Manchester 18 0.84x
Newchurch 18 4.63x
Plymouth St Andrew 18 2.80x
Reading St Mary 18 7.47x
Tipton 18 4.35x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 2.25x
Iwerne Courtnay 17 95.99x
Southwark St George Martyr 17 2.11x
Bow London 16 3.14x
Bristol St Paul In 16 7.64x
Chelmarsh 16 243.90x
Cirencester 16 15.04x
Silverton 16 92.11x
Sydenham Damerel 16 248.83x
Bourton On The Water 15 93.81x
Falmouth 15 9.34x
Highworth 15 33.11x
Rotherhithe 15 3.03x
St George Hanover 15 2.87x
Stratton St Margaret 15 27.59x
Wokingham 15 21.85x
Auchtermuchty 14 43.93x
Cheltenham 14 2.31x
Gwennap 14 16.36x
Hendon 14 9.71x
Liddiard Tregooze 14 154.70x
Warrington 14 2.48x
West Newton 14 310.42x
Wolstanton 14 3.41x
Battersea 13 0.88x
Bromley London 13 1.47x
Buckland Dinham 13 208.67x
Chatham 13 3.46x
Diddlebury 13 113.94x
St George In East 13 4.77x
Stafford St Mary 13 6.79x
Tottenham 13 2.04x
West Bromwich 13 1.68x
Westbury On Trym 13 4.88x
Kempsford 12 105.26x
Moreton Cum Alcumlow 12 750.00x
Wootton Bassett 12 38.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 262
Elizabeth 186
Sarah 150
Ann 82
Jane 81
Eliza 73
Emma 72
Emily 66
Ellen 64
Alice 49
Annie 46
Louisa 39
Martha 35
Hannah 32
Caroline 31
Edith 31
Maria 29
Harriet 28
Fanny 25
Kate 24
Florence 23
Clara 22
Ada 20
Anne 20
Margaret 20
Charlotte 17
Lucy 16
Rose 14
Susan 14
Catherine 13
Amelia 12
Esther 12
Frances 12
Harriett 12
Amy 11
Jessie 10
Sophia 10
Matilda 9
Susannah 8
Anna 7
Eva 7
Isabella 7
Julia 7
Laura 7
Minnie 7
Gertrude 6
Rebecca 6
Rosina 6
Selina 6
Agnes 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 324
John 235
George 162
Thomas 145
James 137
Charles 101
Henry 95
Edward 52
Joseph 52
Richard 47
Frederick 45
Alfred 43
Walter 36
Albert 34
Arthur 31
Samuel 25
Frank 22
Harry 22
Edwin 20
Robert 20
Ernest 16
Herbert 16
Francis 15
Peter 13
Benjamin 11
Wm. 11
Daniel 9
Sidney 8
Fred 7
David 6
Geo. 6
Percy 6
Thos. 6
Stephen 5
Esau 4
Fredk. 4
Isaac 4
Mark 4
Mathew 4
Philip 4
Alexander 3
Chas. 3
Christopher 3
Edgar 3
Fredrick 3
Hezekiah 3
Jas. 3
Job 3
Ralph 3
W. 3

FAQ

Painter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Painter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,101 people were recorded with the Painter surname. That placed it at #1,105 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Painter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,523 in 2016. That gives Painter a modern rank of #1,496.

What does the Painter surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who paints as a profession, such as an artist or decorator.

What does the Painter map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Painter 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.