NameCensus.

UK surname

Paynter

An occupational surname referring to a painter or decorator.

In the 1881 census there were 835 people recorded with the Paynter surname, ranking it #4,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,179, ranked #5,041, down from #4,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Gwennap. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Carmarthenshire and Winchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paynter is 1,288 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.2%.

1881 census count

835

Ranked #4,515

Modern count

1,179

2016, ranked #5,041

Peak year

1911

1,288 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Paynter had 835 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,179 in 2016, ranked #5,041.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,288 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Paynter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Paynter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Paynter 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 558 #4,543
1861 historical 553 #4,760
1881 historical 835 #4,515
1891 historical 1,024 #4,071
1901 historical 1,103 #4,377
1911 historical 1,288 #3,695
1997 modern 1,058 #5,244
1998 modern 1,153 #5,041
1999 modern 1,174 #5,022
2000 modern 1,161 #5,042
2001 modern 1,136 #5,044
2002 modern 1,152 #5,087
2003 modern 1,115 #5,117
2004 modern 1,121 #5,103
2005 modern 1,105 #5,110
2006 modern 1,120 #5,061
2007 modern 1,140 #5,021
2008 modern 1,151 #5,019
2009 modern 1,160 #5,094
2010 modern 1,162 #5,187
2011 modern 1,160 #5,138
2012 modern 1,140 #5,126
2013 modern 1,177 #5,081
2014 modern 1,189 #5,065
2015 modern 1,178 #5,054
2016 modern 1,179 #5,041

Geography

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Where Paynters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Gwennap, Cardiff St John and St Mary and St Ives. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Carmarthenshire, Winchester, North Somerset and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Gwennap Cornwall
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 St Ives Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 054 Cornwall
2 Carmarthenshire 026 Carmarthenshire
3 Winchester 004 Winchester
4 North Somerset 007 North Somerset
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 020 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Paynter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Paynter

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Paynter 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

Paynter 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

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

Meaning and origin of Paynter

The surname Paynter has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old French word "peintor," meaning "painter." This suggests that the name was originally borne by someone who worked as a painter or artist.

The earliest recorded instance of the Paynter surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a certain Richard le Peyntour was mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's French roots and provides evidence of its use in England during the 13th century.

During the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms in historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, which list a John le Payntour, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332, which mention a William le Peyntour.

One notable early bearer of the Paynter surname was John Paynter, a 15th-century English monk and author who lived from around 1420 to 1490. He is best known for his work "The Assize of Bread," which provided guidelines for the regulation of bread prices and weights.

In the 16th century, the Paynter surname continued to be recorded in various parts of England. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1524 list a Richard Paynter, while the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1572 mention a William Paynter.

Another significant figure with the Paynter surname was William Paynter, a 17th-century English merchant and philanthropist who lived from 1637 to 1716. He was a prominent figure in the City of London and made substantial donations to various charitable causes, including the establishment of almshouses and schools.

In the 18th century, the Paynter surname appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Devon and Cornwall in southwestern England. Notable individuals from this period include John Paynter (1696-1768), a renowned clockmaker from Tavistock, Devon, and Thomas Paynter (1732-1803), a Church of England clergyman and author from Cornwall.

As the centuries progressed, the Paynter surname continued to be found throughout England, with various bearers making their mark in various fields, including the arts, business, and academia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Paynter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paynter 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. Cornwall leads with 253 Paynters recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.27x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 253 27.27x
Middlesex 84 1.03x
Lancashire 75 0.77x
Surrey 55 1.38x
Devon 38 2.23x
Norfolk 31 2.46x
Anglesey 29 19.97x
Glamorgan 29 2.03x
Warwickshire 26 1.26x
Gloucestershire 22 1.37x
Staffordshire 20 0.72x
Kent 18 0.64x
Durham 16 0.66x
Shropshire 16 2.26x
Sussex 14 1.01x
Cheshire 13 0.72x
Dorset 13 2.42x
Monmouthshire 12 2.03x
Caernarfonshire 10 3.02x
Wiltshire 10 1.38x
Essex 8 0.49x
Hampshire 7 0.42x
Northamptonshire 7 0.91x
Northumberland 7 0.57x
Somerset 7 0.53x
Herefordshire 3 0.89x
Lincolnshire 3 0.23x
Channel Islands 2 0.82x
Lanarkshire 2 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.77x
Royal Navy 2 2.05x
Flintshire 1 0.45x
Hertfordshire 1 0.18x
Isle of Man 1 0.66x
Morayshire 1 0.79x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x
Yorkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Ives in Cornwall leads with 76 Paynters recorded in 1881 and an index of 418.73x.

Place Total Index
St Ives 76 418.73x
Amlwch 18 131.68x
Tywardreath 18 302.01x
Aston 16 2.81x
Lambeth 15 2.10x
Islington London 14 1.76x
St Pancras London 13 1.97x
Tilney All Sts 12 754.72x
East Winch 11 973.45x
Puddletown 11 333.33x
Creed Grampound 10 892.86x
Gwennap 10 57.14x
Kingston On Thames 10 10.43x
Lezant 10 483.09x
Llaneilian 10 371.75x
Pillaton 10 1052.63x
Church 9 65.55x
Croydon 9 4.06x
Farnworth 9 15.45x
Little Petherick 9 1475.41x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 6.85x
St Breock 9 179.64x
Walsall Foreign 9 6.30x
Beerferris 8 240.96x
Buerton In Chester 8 4444.44x
Bury 8 7.20x
Charlton Kings 8 71.94x
Liverpool 8 1.35x
St Eval 8 1081.08x
St Woollos 8 12.10x
West Derby 8 2.81x
Camberwell 7 1.34x
Clerkenwell London 7 3.62x
Egloshayle 7 160.92x
Heston 7 25.73x
Jacobstow 7 583.33x
Llanbeblig 7 20.82x
Much Wenlock 7 107.20x
Paulerspury 7 218.75x
St Mellion 7 804.60x
Wells Next Sea 7 95.24x
Alnwick 6 28.63x
Birmingham 6 0.87x
Cardiff St John 6 12.88x
Chippenham 6 39.47x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.78x
Feock 6 103.27x
Llanwonno 6 11.71x
Whitchurch 6 77.72x
Bermondsey 5 2.05x
Boddington 5 431.03x
Cheltenham 5 4.03x
Ealing 5 6.83x
Everton 5 1.61x
Gateshead 5 2.74x
Ludlow St Lawrence 5 35.51x
Manchester 5 1.14x
Newchurch 5 6.29x
Paignton 5 38.52x
Redruth 5 19.05x
Rotherfield 5 41.12x
St Dominick 5 214.59x
St Ervan 5 454.55x
St Ewe 5 177.94x
St Ive 5 84.03x
Stoke 5 26.54x
Sunderland 5 11.61x
West Ham 5 1.40x
Widnes 5 7.13x
Arundel 4 51.68x
Brighton 4 1.44x
Illogan 4 16.29x
Llantrisant 4 11.12x
Old Stratford 4 34.19x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 4 19.23x
Sheet 4 219.78x
St George Hanover 4 3.74x
St Luke London 4 3.04x
Walcot 4 5.69x
Westbury On Severn East 4 11.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 54
Elizabeth 45
Jane 26
Sarah 18
Ann 17
Emily 14
Margaret 14
Alice 13
Ellen 10
Emma 10
Caroline 9
Louisa 9
Anne 8
Lucy 8
Grace 7
Charlotte 6
Eliza 6
Eliz. 5
Susan 5
Ada 4
Frances 4
Harriet 4
Harriett 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Susannah 4
Amelia 3
Annie 3
Bessie 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Elizebeth 3
Fanny 3
Honor 3
Jessie 3
Kate 3
Lydia 3
Matilda 3
Rose 3
Agnes 2
Clara 2
Hannah 2
Lavinia 2
Lizzie 2
Mabel 2
Marion 2
Melicent 2
Mildred 2
Winfred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 60
John 44
Thomas 26
Charles 22
Henry 22
George 16
James 14
Joseph 13
Richard 11
Edward 10
Alfred 9
Samuel 9
Francis 8
Frederick 8
Herbert 4
Robert 4
Thos. 4
Albert 3
David 3
Frederic 3
Harry 3
Wm. 3
Alfd. 2
Andrew 2
Arthur 2
Barnard 2
Benjamin 2
Caleb 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Horace 2
Johnson 2
Peter 2
Rowland 2
Walter 2
Camborne 1
Emanuel 1
Emlyn 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Gabriel 1
Geo. 1
Ivor 1
J.B. 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Jas.W. 1
Jno.H. 1
Wm.Chas. 1

FAQ

Paynter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Paynter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 835 people were recorded with the Paynter surname. That placed it at #4,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Paynter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,179 in 2016. That gives Paynter a modern rank of #5,041.

What does the Paynter surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a painter or decorator.

What does the Paynter map show?

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