Find out how popular the last name Paintsil is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Paintsil.

Paintsil, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Paintsil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paintsil in America

Paintsil is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paintsil surname appeared 100 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Paintsil.

The history of the last name Paintsil

The surname PAINTSIL is of Ghanaian origin, tracing its roots back to the Akan people of West Africa. It is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century, during the height of the Ashanti Empire.

The name PAINTSIL is derived from the Akan words "pain" and "tsil," which roughly translate to "child of the traveler." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone whose father or ancestor was a merchant or traveler, perhaps involved in the thriving trade networks that crisscrossed the region at that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PAINTSIL appears in a set of oral histories documented by British colonial administrators in the late 19th century. These accounts mention a prominent Akan chief named Kwame PAINTSIL, who ruled over a prosperous village in the Ashanti region during the mid-1700s.

In the early 20th century, a renowned Ghanaian author and scholar named Kwasi PAINTSIL (1892-1976) wrote extensively about Akan culture and folklore. His works are considered seminal texts in the study of West African literature and anthropology.

Another notable figure with the surname PAINTSIL was Akua PAINTSIL (1925-2008), a pioneering Ghanaian educator and activist who fought for women's rights and access to education. She established several schools and organizations dedicated to empowering young girls and women in Ghana.

During the mid-20th century, a Ghanaian diplomat named Nana PAINTSIL (1920-1992) served as his country's ambassador to several nations, including the United Kingdom and the United States. He played a crucial role in strengthening diplomatic ties between Ghana and the West during the post-colonial era.

In more recent times, the name PAINTSIL has been carried by notable figures such as Kwadwo PAINTSIL (born 1981), a professional football player who has represented the Ghanaian national team on the international stage.

Throughout its history, the surname PAINTSIL has maintained strong ties to its Akan roots and the rich cultural heritage of Ghana. While its spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over time, the name continues to evoke a sense of wanderlust and connection to the vibrant trading networks that once spanned West Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paintsil

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Paintsil.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Paintsil was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Paintsil was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Paintsil, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!