NameCensus.

UK surname

Paton

A Scottish occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a gardener or tender of grapevines.

In the 1881 census there were 6,710 people recorded with the Paton surname, ranking it #629 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,165, ranked #712, down from #629 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Montrose South, Galston and Earlston and Hurlford Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paton is 9,265 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.6%.

1881 census count

6,710

Ranked #629

Modern count

9,165

2016, ranked #712

Peak year

2010

9,265 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Paton had 6,710 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #629 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,165 in 2016, ranked #712.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,292 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Paton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Paton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Paton 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 4,370 #647
1861 historical 4,947 #570
1881 historical 6,710 #629
1891 historical 7,334 #607
1901 historical 8,292 #645
1911 historical 1,843 #2,678
1997 modern 8,581 #734
1998 modern 8,991 #727
1999 modern 8,966 #740
2000 modern 9,040 #730
2001 modern 8,752 #735
2002 modern 8,961 #737
2003 modern 8,688 #740
2004 modern 8,762 #737
2005 modern 8,673 #735
2006 modern 8,746 #728
2007 modern 8,789 #731
2008 modern 8,884 #728
2009 modern 9,069 #728
2010 modern 9,265 #728
2011 modern 9,034 #738
2012 modern 8,929 #730
2013 modern 9,069 #730
2014 modern 9,194 #725
2015 modern 9,146 #721
2016 modern 9,165 #712

Geography

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Where Patons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and Craig. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Montrose South, Galston, Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Greenock West and Central and Montrose North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Craig Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Montrose South Angus
2 Galston East Ayrshire
3 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
4 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde
5 Montrose North Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Paton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Paton

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Paton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Paton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Paton 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

Paton is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Paton falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Paton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Paton

The surname PATON has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "pæd" and "tun," which together mean "path town" or "village by the path." This suggests that the name may have originated as a place name, referring to a settlement located along a well-traveled path or road.

In some early Scottish records, the name is also spelled as PATTON, PATTEN, or PATIN, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that time period. The earliest known reference to the name PATON can be found in the Scottish clan records from the late 16th century, where it is mentioned in connection with the Borders region of Scotland.

One notable figure bearing this surname was John Paton, a Scottish missionary and missionary pioneer who lived from 1824 to 1907. He is renowned for his work in establishing Christian missions in the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) and for his efforts in promoting the protection of indigenous peoples in the South Pacific.

Another individual of historical significance is Mary Ann Paton, a Scottish artist and illustrator who lived from 1819 to 1864. She is best known for her illustrations in various children's books, including a famous edition of "The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen."

In the literary world, Walter Paton was a Scottish writer and poet who lived from 1828 to 1869. He is remembered for his collection of poems titled "Poems by a Painter," which was published posthumously in 1870.

James Paton, born in 1743 and died in 1806, was a Scottish architect who made significant contributions to the Georgian architectural style in Scotland. Some of his notable works include the Melville Monument in Edinburgh and the Glasgow Assembly Rooms.

Lastly, Sir Joseph Noel Paton was a Scottish artist and sculptor who lived from 1821 to 1901. He is particularly renowned for his paintings depicting scenes from literature and mythology, as well as his work on the decorative schemes for various public buildings in Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Paton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paton 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. Lanarkshire leads with 1,486 Patons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.03x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,486 7.03x
Ayrshire 882 18.03x
Angus 618 10.21x
Renfrewshire 446 8.81x
Midlothian 438 5.00x
Fife 406 10.49x
Lancashire 324 0.42x
Perthshire 302 10.30x
Stirlingshire 242 10.04x
Middlesex 192 0.29x
Dunbartonshire 189 10.76x
Yorkshire 86 0.13x
Aberdeenshire 80 1.32x
Roxburghshire 75 6.34x
Northumberland 73 0.75x
Surrey 73 0.23x
Durham 60 0.31x
Staffordshire 47 0.21x
Dumfriesshire 39 2.70x
Clackmannanshire 38 7.04x
Cheshire 37 0.26x
Selkirkshire 37 6.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 36 3.81x
West Lothian 34 3.45x
Cumberland 32 0.57x
Shetland 31 4.64x
Buteshire 30 7.58x
Argyllshire 23 1.26x
Banffshire 22 1.62x
Kent 22 0.10x
East Lothian 20 2.31x
Worcestershire 20 0.23x
Wigtownshire 19 2.19x
Warwickshire 17 0.10x
Kincardineshire 15 1.88x
Glamorgan 13 0.11x
Derbyshire 12 0.12x
Hampshire 12 0.09x
Essex 11 0.09x
Hertfordshire 10 0.22x
Isle of Man 10 0.82x
Monmouthshire 10 0.21x
Berwickshire 9 1.14x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.23x
Herefordshire 9 0.34x
Kinross-shire 9 5.45x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.10x
Morayshire 8 0.79x
Peeblesshire 8 2.60x
Channel Islands 7 0.36x
Lincolnshire 7 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.22x
Shropshire 6 0.11x
Anglesey 5 0.43x
Gloucestershire 5 0.04x
Royal Navy 5 0.64x
Devon 4 0.03x
Dorset 4 0.09x
Sussex 4 0.04x
Cornwall 3 0.04x
Northamptonshire 3 0.05x
Berkshire 2 0.04x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.05x
Bedfordshire 1 0.03x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.04x
Inverness-shire 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.02x
Somerset 1 0.01x
Westmorland 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 410 Patons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.66x.

Place Total Index
Barony 410 7.66x
Govan 382 7.31x
Glasgow 260 6.93x
Craig 236 403.56x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 218 6.19x
Dundee 169 7.48x
Kilmarnock 142 24.39x
Galston 105 78.50x
Abbey 88 11.39x
St Ninians 86 35.99x
Dunfermline 84 14.12x
Ayr 66 28.59x
Markinch 63 47.96x
Paisley High Church 60 14.88x
East Greenock 57 11.92x
Cambusnethan 56 11.93x
St Quivox 55 33.26x
Falkirk 54 9.57x
West Greenock 51 5.61x
Hamilton 49 8.31x
Manchester 49 1.40x
Carluke 45 23.45x
Dundonald 44 24.39x
New Monkland 44 7.04x
New Kilpatrick 43 25.74x
Largs 39 33.84x
Stewarton 39 40.30x
Port Glasgow 38 15.52x
South Leith 38 3.86x
Auchtergaven 37 75.25x
Liff Benvie 37 4.03x
Old Monkland 35 4.17x
Auchterderran 34 34.95x
Kilbirnie 34 28.95x
Tarbolton 34 42.24x
Dumbarton 33 13.50x
Cathcart 32 11.68x
Dalry 32 13.90x
Camberwell 30 0.72x
Kirkdale 29 2.22x
Paisley Middle Church 29 9.83x
Leslie 28 28.58x
Blantyre 27 12.27x
Montrose 27 7.36x
Alloa 26 9.93x
Perth East Church 26 9.40x
Bonhill 25 8.87x
Maryhill 25 6.04x
Row 25 11.00x
Cardross 24 11.38x
Lerwick Gulberwick 24 23.23x
Lanark 23 13.52x
Perth Middle Church 23 20.85x
Forfar 22 6.71x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 21 10.14x
Everton 21 0.85x
Irvine 21 15.46x
Renfrew 21 12.56x
St Vigeans 21 6.43x
Ardrossan 20 11.81x
Chorlton On Medlock 20 1.62x
Methven 20 46.51x
Shotts 20 7.91x
Aberdeen Old Machar 19 1.50x
Edinburgh Canongate 19 8.53x
Islington London 19 0.30x
Kettle 19 40.91x
Liverpool 19 0.40x
Old Kilpatrick 19 9.15x
St Cuthbert W O 19 6.93x
Dunblane 18 25.64x
Kilconquhar 18 39.10x
Muirkirk 18 15.67x
Warrington 18 1.96x
Barrow In Furness 17 1.61x
Campsie 17 12.85x
Hackney London 17 0.46x
Kidderminster Borough 17 3.40x
Monifieth 17 7.95x
Selkirk 17 10.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 84
Elizabeth 42
Margaret 31
Jane 22
Sarah 21
Ann 20
Annie 17
Alice 16
Catherine 16
Isabella 14
Ellen 13
Emma 12
Agnes 11
Emily 9
Jessie 9
Eleanor 7
Janet 7
Susan 7
Bridget 6
Matilda 6
Ada 5
Charlotte 5
Eliza 5
Caroline 4
Clara 4
Florence 4
Harriet 4
Helen 4
Martha 4
Rose 4
Ethel 3
Gertrude 3
Hannah 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Mabel 3
Margt. 3
Maria 3
Nancy 3
Rebecca 3
Anna 2
Christiana 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Kate 2
Katherine 2
Laura 2
Lizzie 2
M. 2
Marey 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 82
William 72
James 66
George 37
Robert 36
Thomas 31
David 24
Charles 12
Frederick 11
Hugh 11
Alexander 10
Andrew 9
Edward 9
Patrick 9
Joseph 7
Thos. 6
Walter 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Henry 4
Herbert 4
Michael 4
Richard 4
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Geo. 3
Matthew 3
Roderick 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Alex 2
Alexr. 2
Benjamin 2
Darby 2
Frederic 2
Harry 2
Isiah 2
Joshua 2
Martin 2
Peter 2
Robt. 2
Sidney 2
Anne 1
Anthony 1
Daniel 1
Davies 1
Dennis 1
Duncan 1
Wm.Scott 1

FAQ

Paton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Paton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,710 people were recorded with the Paton surname. That placed it at #629 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Paton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,165 in 2016. That gives Paton a modern rank of #712.

What does the Paton surname mean?

A Scottish occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a gardener or tender of grapevines.

What does the Paton map show?

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