NameCensus.

UK surname

Pater

A Latin surname meaning father or patriarch.

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Pater surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 188, ranked #20,417, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Poulton and Sheriff Hutton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Wandsworth and Hertsmere.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pater is 281 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.4%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

188

2016, ranked #20,417

Peak year

1861

281 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pater had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016, ranked #20,417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 281 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Pater surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pater surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pater 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 165 #12,053
1861 historical 281 #8,921
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 206 #14,597
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 175 #19,161
1998 modern 196 #18,342
1999 modern 183 #19,248
2000 modern 177 #19,634
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 167 #20,457
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 156 #21,261
2005 modern 159 #20,983
2006 modern 162 #20,886
2007 modern 173 #20,243
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 196 #19,274
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 204 #19,040
2012 modern 197 #19,408
2013 modern 193 #19,997
2014 modern 189 #20,441
2015 modern 185 #20,641
2016 modern 188 #20,417

Geography

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Where Paters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Poulton, Sheriff Hutton, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Wandsworth, Hertsmere and Ceredigion. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Poulton Lancashire
3 Sheriff Hutton Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 005 Copeland
2 Copeland 003 Copeland
3 Wandsworth 014 Wandsworth
4 Hertsmere 013 Hertsmere
5 Ceredigion 009 Ceredigion

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pater

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pater

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Pater surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Pater household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Pater 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

Pater 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

Pater 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 Pater 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 Pater, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pater

The surname Pater originated from the Latin word "pater" meaning father. It is believed to have first appeared in Italy during the Roman Empire period. The name likely referred to a person who was a patriarch or head of a family or religious order.

In the Middle Ages, the surname Pater was found in various regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Rome, Florence, and Venice. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Italian manuscripts and church records from the 12th and 13th centuries.

One notable historical reference to the name Pater is in the registers of the University of Bologna, which date back to the 13th century. Here, several individuals with the surname Pater are listed as students and scholars.

In the 14th century, a Venetian merchant named Marco Pater was recorded as having traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean region, conducting trade with various ports and cities.

During the Renaissance period, the Pater family was prominent in Florence, where they were patrons of the arts and supported several notable artists and writers of the time. One member of the family, Giovanni Pater (1470-1536), was a renowned humanist scholar and philosopher.

In the 17th century, the Pater surname spread beyond Italy to other parts of Europe. A Dutch artist named Joachim Pater (1620-1678) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and etchings.

Another notable figure with the surname Pater was Walter Pater (1839-1894), an English essayist and critic who was a key figure in the Aesthetic Movement of the late 19th century.

Other individuals with the surname Pater who made significant contributions include the French philosopher and theologian Claude Pater (1612-1685), the German composer and organist Johann Pater (1680-1737), and the American author and educator Mary Lewis Pater (1853-1940).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pater families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pater 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. Surrey leads with 19 Paters recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.12x.

County Total Index
Surrey 19 3.12x
Kent 16 3.76x
Middlesex 14 1.12x
Essex 13 5.27x
Lancashire 12 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 9 11.92x
Warwickshire 9 2.86x
Hampshire 5 1.95x
Shropshire 5 4.64x
Gloucestershire 4 1.63x
Channel Islands 3 8.11x
Dunbartonshire 3 8.94x
Lincolnshire 3 1.50x
Sussex 3 1.43x
Durham 2 0.54x
Somerset 2 1.00x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.26x
Cheshire 1 0.36x
Cumberland 1 0.93x
Devon 1 0.38x
Oxfordshire 1 1.30x
Staffordshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hougham in Kent leads with 11 Paters recorded in 1881 and an index of 434.78x.

Place Total Index
Hougham 11 434.78x
West Ham 10 18.38x
Birmingham 8 7.62x
Wandsworth 8 66.56x
Weston Underwood 8 5333.33x
Thornton In Fylde 7 216.05x
Hackney London 5 7.14x
Lambeth 5 4.59x
Wellington 5 82.51x
Baunton 4 6666.67x
Camberwell 4 5.02x
Ewerby 3 1578.95x
Old Kilpatrick 3 75.76x
Paddington London 3 6.53x
St Peter Port 3 43.86x
Tottenham 3 15.08x
Beckenham 2 35.91x
Croydon 2 5.92x
Deptford St Paul 2 6.09x
Frant 2 134.23x
Great Wakering 2 363.64x
Haydock 2 78.43x
Hutton Henry 2 256.41x
Lymington 2 106.38x
Portsea 2 3.99x
All Saints Cambridge 1 178.57x
Bickleigh 1 400.00x
Brighton 1 2.35x
Charlcombe 1 370.37x
East Cliffe 1 909.09x
Edgbaston 1 10.25x
Halstead 1 34.72x
Hopton Coton 1 166.67x
Hordle 1 222.22x
Islington London 1 0.83x
Kensington London 1 1.44x
Kirkdale 1 4.01x
Liverpool 1 1.11x
Newton By Chester 1 909.09x
Norwood 1 34.97x
Oxford St Giles 1 27.17x
Stony Stratford East 1 322.58x
Weston Super Mare 1 19.72x
Whitehaven 1 17.45x
Wigan 1 4.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Emma 6
Annie 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Mary 3
Ann 2
Eleanor 2
Susan 2
A.Mude 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charity 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Ellin 1
Emily 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
J. 1
Jemmima 1
Jessie 1
Lear 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Selina 1
Susanah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 7
John 6
Charles 5
James 4
Thomas 4
William 4
Edward 3
George 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Richard 2
Ulrich 2
Albert 1
Cyril 1
Edgar 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
G. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Michael 1
Philip 1
Reuben 1
Roston 1
Septimus 1
Thompson 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Pater surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pater surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Pater surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pater surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016. That gives Pater a modern rank of #20,417.

What does the Pater surname mean?

A Latin surname meaning father or patriarch.

What does the Pater map show?

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