NameCensus.

UK surname

Paxman

An English surname derived from the Old English word "paex" meaning "peax" or basket-maker.

In the 1881 census there were 213 people recorded with the Paxman surname, ranking it #12,328 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 367, ranked #12,669, down from #12,328 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edmonton, Withersfield and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees and Thurrock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paxman is 413 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.3%.

1881 census count

213

Ranked #12,328

Modern count

367

2016, ranked #12,669

Peak year

2010

413 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Paxman had 213 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,328 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 367 in 2016, ranked #12,669.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 300 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Paxman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Paxman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Paxman 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 92 #22,112
1881 historical 213 #12,328
1891 historical 198 #15,033
1901 historical 255 #12,965
1911 historical 300 #11,441
1997 modern 368 #11,719
1998 modern 369 #12,077
1999 modern 385 #11,771
2000 modern 404 #11,306
2001 modern 386 #11,509
2002 modern 398 #11,478
2003 modern 395 #11,364
2004 modern 397 #11,345
2005 modern 392 #11,355
2006 modern 381 #11,644
2007 modern 376 #11,925
2008 modern 374 #12,086
2009 modern 381 #12,174
2010 modern 413 #11,690
2011 modern 404 #11,786
2012 modern 379 #12,192
2013 modern 398 #11,967
2014 modern 392 #12,192
2015 modern 383 #12,295
2016 modern 367 #12,669

Geography

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Where Paxmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edmonton, Withersfield, London parishes, Baldon Toot, Clifton Hampden and Bradley, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees and Thurrock. 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 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Withersfield Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Baldon Toot, Clifton Hampden Berkshire
5 Bradley, Great Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 053 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
3 Thurrock 002 Thurrock
4 Kirklees 008 Kirklees
5 Thurrock 012 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Paxman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Paxman

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Paxman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Paxman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Paxman 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

Paxman 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

Paxman falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Paxman 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 Paxman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Paxman

The surname Paxman has its origins in England, and it is believed to have first emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "paecca," which means a small bundle or package, and "mann," meaning a person or man. It is thought that the name may have originally referred to a peddler or a merchant who carried their wares in packs or bundles.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Paxman surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from the late 13th century, where a person named Thomas Paxman is listed. The name also appears in various taxation records and legal documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset.

The surname Paxman has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Packman, Pakeman, and Paxeman, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. It is also believed that the name may have been influenced by the Old English word "packhors," meaning a packhouse or a place where goods were stored.

One notable early bearer of the Paxman surname was Sir William Paxman, who lived in the 15th century and served as a member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton in Somerset. Another individual of note was John Paxman, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who was active in the late 16th century and involved in the trade with the Americas.

In the 17th century, the Paxman family established themselves in the city of Norwich, where they became prominent in the weaving and textile industry. One notable member of this branch was Thomas Paxman (1619-1686), a successful cloth merchant and alderman of Norwich.

As the centuries progressed, the Paxman surname spread across various parts of England, with families settling in regions such as Suffolk, Essex, and Gloucestershire. In the 19th century, a notable figure was Henry Paxman (1805-1870), an engineer and inventor from Colchester, Essex, who patented several important improvements to agricultural machinery.

Other notable individuals with the Paxman surname include Charles Paxman (1829-1906), a British engineer and founder of the Paxman Diesel Engine Company, and Jeremy Paxman (born 1950), the renowned British broadcaster and author known for his sharp questioning style on programs like Newsnight and University Challenge.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Paxman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paxman 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 52 Paxmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.55x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 52 20.55x
Middlesex 42 2.02x
Cambridgeshire 22 16.72x
Berkshire 19 12.18x
Surrey 17 1.68x
Yorkshire 17 0.83x
Oxfordshire 14 10.91x
Herefordshire 7 8.22x
Lincolnshire 6 1.81x
Essex 5 1.22x
Durham 4 0.65x
Cornwall 3 1.28x
Somerset 2 0.60x
Kent 1 0.14x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Warwickshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Withersfield in Suffolk leads with 18 Paxmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4390.24x.

Place Total Index
Withersfield 18 4390.24x
Brinkley 16 7619.05x
Spitalfields London 12 76.78x
Appleford 10 4000.00x
Great Bradley 10 3846.15x
Eye 9 548.78x
Lambeth 8 4.42x
Wickham Market 8 761.90x
Mapledurham 7 2333.33x
Clifton Hampden 6 2400.00x
Coningsby 6 631.58x
Eye 6 1200.00x
Ipswich St Nicholas 6 431.65x
Manningham 6 23.66x
Reading St Mary 6 48.04x
St Giles Cripplegate 6 217.39x
Westminster St John 6 23.72x
Huddersfield 5 16.67x
Dorking 4 58.82x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 14.94x
Abingdon St Helen 3 65.79x
Bradford 3 6.02x
Newington 3 3.91x
St George In East 3 21.23x
Stratton 3 234.38x
Wicken 3 500.00x
Bow London 2 7.56x
Bowling 2 9.81x
Bromley London 2 4.38x
Colchester St Giles 2 49.38x
Newmarket All Sts 2 206.19x
Poplar London 2 5.10x
Walcot 2 11.23x
West Ham 2 2.21x
Bampton 1 101.01x
Bottisham 1 89.29x
Castleton 1 4.06x
Chelsea London 1 1.60x
Clapham 1 3.85x
Colchester St Mary At 1 68.97x
Croft 1 3333.33x
Hornsey 1 3.81x
Horton In Bradford 1 3.11x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 14.10x
Islington London 1 0.50x
Kensington London 1 0.87x
Lewisham 1 2.65x
Mile End New Town 1 35.21x
Milverton 1 64.94x
Penge 1 7.54x
St George Bloomsbury 1 8.39x
St George Hanover 1 3.69x
St Pancras London 1 0.60x
Tottenham 1 3.02x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 9
William 9
George 8
Henry 7
Walter 6
James 5
Charles 4
Frank 4
John 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Joseph 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Christopher 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Noah 2
Adolphus 1
Agustus 1
Albert 1
Arther 1
Ben 1
Benjamin 1
Benjm. 1
Berty 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk.Washington 1
Jason 1
Jonathan 1
Lawrence 1
Maurice 1
Robt.Daniel 1
Sarah 1
Zacharia 1

FAQ

Paxman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Paxman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 213 people were recorded with the Paxman surname. That placed it at #12,328 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Paxman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 367 in 2016. That gives Paxman a modern rank of #12,669.

What does the Paxman surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "paex" meaning "peax" or basket-maker.

What does the Paxman map show?

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