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

Pasten, 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 Pasten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pasten in America

Pasten is the 109758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pasten surname appeared 161 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 Pasten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pasten to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pasten

The surname "PASTEN" is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "pasten," which means "to pasture" or "to graze." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with those who worked as shepherds or tended to livestock.

One of the earliest known references to the Pasten name can be found in the records of the town of Göttingen, located in Lower Saxony, Germany. In a document dated 1472, a certain Hans Pasten is mentioned as a resident of the town, indicating the presence of the surname in that region during the late medieval period.

As the name spread across various regions of Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Pasten," "Pasteyn," and "Pastien." These variations were common during that era due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

In the 16th century, the Pasten name appeared in the records of the city of Cologne, where a merchant named Johann Pasten was documented as a respected member of the local guild. This suggests that by that time, the name had also been adopted by individuals engaged in commercial activities.

One notable figure in history associated with the Pasten surname was Johann Friedrich Pasten, a German theologian and author who lived from 1663 to 1723. He was known for his contributions to Lutheran theology and his published works, which included sermons and theological treatises.

In the 18th century, a prominent military figure named Wilhelm von Pasten (1720-1789) gained recognition for his service in the Prussian army during the Seven Years' War. He rose through the ranks and eventually became a highly decorated general.

Another individual of note was Anna Pasten (1798-1873), a German poet and writer who gained acclaim for her lyrical works and contributions to the literary circles of her time.

During the 19th century, the Pasten name appeared in various parts of Europe, as migration and emigration patterns led to its spread beyond Germany. One such instance was the birth of Albert Pasten (1854-1912) in the Netherlands, who later became a renowned painter and artist known for his landscape and still-life works.

In more recent times, the name Pasten has been associated with several accomplished individuals, including the German-born American physicist and Nobel laureate Wolfgang Pasten (1919-2002), who made significant contributions to the field of particle physics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pasten

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

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 Pasten 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pasten has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Pasten was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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