2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Paiste
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a crest or ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Paiste. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paiste surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Paiste in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paiste, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.7%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paiste
The surname PAISTE is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. This name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "paust," which referred to a large drum or kettledrum used in military and ceremonial settings.
The earliest known record of the PAISTE surname can be traced back to the 14th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. It is thought that the name was initially given as a descriptive term to individuals who were involved in the manufacturing or playing of these drums, reflecting their occupation or association with the instrument.
One of the earliest documented instances of the PAISTE name appears in the municipal records of the city of Nuremberg in 1427, where a certain Hans Paiste is mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a recognizable surname by that time.
In the 16th century, the PAISTE family gained prominence in the region of Franconia, Germany. Several members of the family were recorded as successful artisans and craftsmen, with some specializing in the production of musical instruments, including drums and cymbals.
A notable figure bearing the PAISTE surname was Johann Paiste, a master drum maker who lived in the town of Bamberg in the late 17th century. His workshops were renowned for their high-quality drums, which were sought after by military regiments and royal courts throughout Europe.
Another significant individual was Georg Paiste, born in 1765, who established a successful cymbal manufacturing business in the town of Erlangen. His innovations in cymbal-making techniques and alloy compositions contributed to the growth of the family's reputation in the music industry.
In the 19th century, the PAISTE family continued to play a prominent role in the production of percussion instruments. One of the most renowned members was Michail Paiste, born in 1834, who founded the Paiste Cymbal Company in St. Petersburg, Russia. This company became one of the leading suppliers of cymbals and drums to the Russian Imperial Court and military bands.
Throughout its long history, the PAISTE surname has been associated with skilled artisans, craftsmen, and musicians, reflecting its origins as a descriptive term for those involved in the production and playing of drums and other percussion instruments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paiste
Among Census respondents with the surname Paiste, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.7%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Paiste bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Paiste surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.7% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander46.7% · 50
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paiste
Paiste appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+15 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,577 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-21 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 4,577 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 19,433 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Paiste surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #132,206 | #151,639 | -14.7% |
| Count | 128 | 107 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paiste bearers went from 128 to 107 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 19,433 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #151,639.
FAQ
Paiste surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paiste?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Paiste. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Paiste?
Paiste ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Paiste. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Paiste.
Has Paiste become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paiste went from 128 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Paiste?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paiste, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.7%) and Hispanic (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Paiste in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.7% (51 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paiste appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (46.7%), Hispanic (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Paiste (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Paiste mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a crest or ridge. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Paiste (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Paiste?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.