NameCensus.

UK surname

Paternoster

A surname derived from the Latin term for "Our Father", referring to the Lord's Prayer.

In the 1881 census there were 190 people recorded with the Paternoster surname, ranking it #13,270 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 363, ranked #12,777, up from #13,270 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Pancras, Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton and Shephall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal and Ipswich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paternoster is 391 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.1%.

1881 census count

190

Ranked #13,270

Modern count

363

2016, ranked #12,777

Peak year

1997

391 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Paternoster had 190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,270 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016, ranked #12,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Paternoster surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Paternoster surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Paternoster 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 190 #13,270
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 234 #13,705
1911 historical 238 #13,356
1997 modern 391 #11,196
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 382 #11,843
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 390 #11,420
2002 modern 386 #11,740
2003 modern 374 #11,828
2004 modern 372 #11,886
2005 modern 377 #11,714
2006 modern 372 #11,878
2007 modern 358 #12,383
2008 modern 354 #12,591
2009 modern 377 #12,269
2010 modern 390 #12,233
2011 modern 377 #12,392
2012 modern 361 #12,647
2013 modern 369 #12,655
2014 modern 376 #12,553
2015 modern 375 #12,470
2016 modern 363 #12,777

Geography

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Where Paternosters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Pancras, Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton, Shephall, Peasenhall, Sibton and Hitchin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Suffolk Coastal and Ipswich. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
2 Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton Hertfordshire
3 Shephall Hertfordshire
4 Peasenhall, Sibton Suffolk
5 Hitchin Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Suffolk Coastal 006 Suffolk Coastal
2 Suffolk Coastal 008 Suffolk Coastal
3 Suffolk Coastal 005 Suffolk Coastal
4 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal
5 Ipswich 004 Ipswich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Paternoster

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Paternoster

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Paternoster is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Paternoster is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Paternoster

The surname Paternoster is of English origin, derived from the Latin phrase "Pater Noster," which translates to "Our Father" in English. It is believed to have originated in medieval times, referring to individuals who were known for their devotion to reciting the Lord's Prayer.

This surname was initially associated with religious individuals, such as monks or priests, who frequently recited the Pater Noster prayer. It may have been bestowed upon those who were particularly skilled in teaching or reciting the prayer, or those who held positions of authority within religious institutions.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Paternoster can be traced back to the 13th century in various English parish records and legal documents. One notable example is found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279, where a person named Richard Paternoster is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Corpus Christi Guild Records of York, which lists a person named John Paternoster as a member in 1357. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 mention a William Paternoster.

As the surname spread throughout England, it evolved into various spellings, such as Paternoster, Paternostrer, and Paternostrere, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

Historically, the name Paternoster has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was Robert Paternoster, a 14th-century English cleric and canon of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, who lived from around 1320 to 1390.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Paternoster, a 15th-century English soldier and diplomat who served under King Henry VI and was appointed as the Constable of Oudenarde, a town in present-day Belgium, in 1436.

In the 16th century, Thomas Paternoster (1518-1582) was an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the Elizabethan persecutions for his religious beliefs.

During the 17th century, Edward Paternoster (1630-1689) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Oriel College, Oxford, from 1672 until his death.

In more recent times, one of the most notable figures with the surname Paternoster was Sir Sidney Paternoster (1897-1988), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Paternoster Group, a conglomerate of companies involved in various industries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Paternoster families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paternoster 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. Suffolk leads with 62 Paternosters recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.47x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 62 27.47x
Middlesex 52 2.81x
Hertfordshire 32 25.05x
Surrey 18 1.99x
Bedfordshire 13 13.55x
Essex 6 1.64x
Gloucestershire 6 1.65x
Warwickshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 13 Paternosters recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.71x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 13 8.71x
Stevenage 13 656.57x
Campsea Ash 12 5000.00x
Shephall 11 7857.14x
Little Bealings 10 6666.67x
Ipswich St Margaret 8 104.44x
Benhall 7 1750.00x
Ipswich St Clement 7 121.95x
Mile End Old Town 7 23.93x
Cirencester 6 121.95x
Hackney London 6 5.77x
Henlow 6 1016.95x
Hitchin 6 103.99x
Newington 6 8.76x
Bethnal Green London 5 6.21x
Peasenhall 5 909.09x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 13.41x
St Marylebone London 5 5.05x
Camberwell 4 3.38x
Heston 4 65.04x
Aspley Guise 3 326.09x
Ipswich St Helen 3 111.94x
Luton 3 18.06x
Paddington London 3 4.40x
Playford 3 2000.00x
Rochford 3 283.02x
Roydon 3 555.56x
Rushmere 3 612.24x
St Michael Paternoster 3 5000.00x
Islington London 2 1.11x
Lambeth 2 1.24x
St George Hanover 2 8.27x
Depden 1 714.29x
Husborne Crawley 1 333.33x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 1 200.00x
Leamington Priors 1 8.70x
Sacombe 1 625.00x
Southwark St Thomas 1 200.00x
St Clement Danes 1 33.33x
St Gilesin Fields 1 92.59x
Stowmarket 1 38.31x
Walkern 1 185.19x
Wickham Market 1 107.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 13
Mary 10
Elizabeth 8
Emma 6
Alice 5
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Ann 3
Laura 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Lizzie 2
Phoebe 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Carry 1
Cecila 1
Clarissa 1
Daisy 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
F.M. 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Janet 1
Lilian 1
Lizzy 1
M.A. 1
Rebbecca 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
George 11
John 11
Samuel 6
Charles 4
Henry 4
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Ezekiel 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
James 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Aurther 1
Auther 1
Chas.L. 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Esau 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Albert 1
Geo.Saml. 1
I. 1
J. 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Richd. 1

FAQ

Paternoster surname: questions and answers

How common was the Paternoster surname in 1881?

In 1881, 190 people were recorded with the Paternoster surname. That placed it at #13,270 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Paternoster surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016. That gives Paternoster a modern rank of #12,777.

What does the Paternoster surname mean?

A surname derived from the Latin term for "Our Father", referring to the Lord's Prayer.

What does the Paternoster map show?

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