NameCensus.

UK surname

Paw

A surname derived from the medieval personal name Paw, a variant of Paul, meaning "small" or "humble".

In the 1881 census there were 28 people recorded with the Paw surname, ranking it #29,646 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, up from #29,646 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wellingborough, Birmingham and Ealing.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paw is 120 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 328.6%.

1881 census count

28

Ranked #29,646

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

2016

120 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Paw had 28 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,646 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Paw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Paw surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Paw 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 89 #18,446
1881 historical 28 #29,646
1891 historical 34 #31,604
1901 historical 15 #32,383
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 101 #27,479
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 97 #28,217
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 102 #28,664
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Paws 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 Wellingborough, Birmingham, Ealing and Leicester. 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 Wellingborough 004 Wellingborough
2 Birmingham 132 Birmingham
3 Ealing 017 Ealing
4 Leicester 023 Leicester
5 Birmingham 103 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Paw

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Paw

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Paw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Paw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Paw 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

Paw 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

Paw falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Paw 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
Asian - Indian

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

Meaning and origin of Paw

The surname PAW is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "paw," which means "paw" or "foot." It first appeared in the late 12th century, primarily in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it was used as a descriptive name for someone with large or distinctive feet or hands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentions a William Paw. Another early reference is in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1260, where a Robert Paw is listed.

In medieval times, the name Paw was sometimes associated with occupations involving animals, such as falconers or huntsmen, whose hands and feet were heavily calloused from handling birds of prey or tracking game.

The surname Paw is also found in various place names across England, such as Pawlett in Somerset, which was recorded as Pauelet in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname for people living in or near places with similar names.

Notable historical figures with the surname Paw include Sir John Paw (c. 1350-1420), a knight and landowner from Lancashire who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Richard II. Another prominent figure was Robert Paw (1560-1635), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Halton in Buckinghamshire.

In the 17th century, the Paw family established themselves in the American colonies, with Thomas Paw (1620-1690) being one of the earliest recorded settlers, arriving in Virginia in 1638. His descendants went on to become prominent landowners and politicians in the region.

Other significant individuals with the Paw surname include William Paw (1790-1860), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir Joseph Paw (1825-1902), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Birmingham.

Throughout its history, the surname Paw has maintained its distinct character, reflecting its origins as a descriptive and locational name rooted in the English countryside.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Paw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paw 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 16 Paws recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 16 6.08x
Surrey 7 5.46x
Devon 2 3.65x
Clackmannanshire 1 46.08x
Somerset 1 2.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 6 Paws recorded in 1881 and an index of 303.03x.

Place Total Index
Spitalfields London 6 303.03x
Hammersmith London 4 61.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 75.47x
Kensington London 2 13.67x
Rotherhithe 2 61.54x
St Marylebone London 2 14.23x
Barnstaple 1 116.28x
Chilcompton 1 1666.67x
Chittlehampton 1 714.29x
Dunsfold 1 1428.57x
Paddington London 1 10.33x
St Luke London 1 23.70x
Tillicoultry 1 208.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Henrietta 1
Louise 1
Matilda 1
Rebeka 1
Sacre 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 2
William 2
Arthur 1
Emanuel 1
Henerie 1
J. 1
John 1
Mykel 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Paw households.

FAQ

Paw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Paw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 28 people were recorded with the Paw surname. That placed it at #29,646 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Paw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Paw a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Paw surname mean?

A surname derived from the medieval personal name Paw, a variant of Paul, meaning "small" or "humble".

What does the Paw map show?

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