NameCensus.

UK surname

Pasternak

A Polish and Ukrainian occupational surname referring to a parsnip grower or seller.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Telford and Wrekin, Exeter and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pasternak is 162 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2016

162 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Pasternak surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pasternak surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pasternak 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
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 40 #33,666
1998 modern 43 #33,557
1999 modern 38 #34,142
2000 modern 41 #33,889
2001 modern 39 #33,923
2002 modern 37 #34,390
2003 modern 38 #34,361
2004 modern 47 #33,819
2005 modern 58 #33,094
2006 modern 73 #31,954
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 159 #22,930
2015 modern 158 #22,913
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Pasternaks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Telford and Wrekin, Exeter, North West Leicestershire, Darnley East and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Telford and Wrekin 009 Telford and Wrekin
2 Exeter 011 Exeter
3 North West Leicestershire 012 North West Leicestershire
4 Darnley East Glasgow City
5 Kensington and Chelsea 016 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pasternak

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pasternak

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pasternak, 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 Pasternak surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Pasternak 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Pasternak is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pasternak 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

Pasternak falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pasternak is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Pasternak

The surname Pasternak originated in Poland, derived from the Polish word "pasternak" meaning "parsnip." It was likely an occupational name initially given to someone who grew or sold parsnips. The name can be traced back to the 14th century in areas around Krakow and other parts of southern Poland.

Variations of the spelling include Pasternak, Pasternack, and Pasternik. In old records, it sometimes appeared as Pastyrnak or Pasturniak, reflecting the Cyrillic spellings used in eastern regions of Poland. The earliest recorded example is a reference to a Mikołaj Pasternak from the town of Bochnia in 1398.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name spread across Poland as families moved between villages and towns. It appeared in tax registers and land records in areas like Poznan, Lublin, and Lviv (which was part of Poland at the time). Pasternak families were also found in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, with mentions in documents from Vilnius and Grodno.

One of the earliest notable people with the surname was Jan Pasternak, a Polish writer and philosopher born in 1629 in Krakow. He published works on ethics and morality that were influential in his time. In the 19th century, Józef Pasternak (1826-1891) was a respected painter and art professor in Krakow.

The most famous bearer of the name was likely Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), the Russian poet and author best known for his novel "Doctor Zhivago." Though born in Moscow, his family had Polish roots and the surname originated from the Polish side.

Other historical figures include Leonid Pasternak (1835-1912), a Russian artist and illustrator, and Leon Pasternak (1901-1976), a Polish-American attorney who served as a judge in Chicago.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Pasternak surname: questions and answers

How common is the Pasternak surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Pasternak a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Pasternak surname mean?

A Polish and Ukrainian occupational surname referring to a parsnip grower or seller.

What does the Pasternak map show?

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