2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Paston
A locational surname derived from the village of Paston in Norfolk, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Paston. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paston 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Paston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Paston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paston, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paston
The surname "PASTON" originated from the village of Paston, located in Norfolk, England. This name dates back to the medieval period, particularly the 13th and 14th centuries.
The village of Paston is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "pæst" and "tun," which together translate to "farmstead or village where pease or peas were grown." This suggests that the area was known for its cultivation of peas or other legumes.
One of the earliest known references to the surname "PASTON" can be found in the famous Paston Letters, a collection of correspondences written by members of the Paston family between the years 1422 and 1509. These letters provide valuable insights into the lives of the gentry class during the late medieval period in England.
The Paston Letters mention several notable members of the Paston family, including William Paston (c. 1378-1444), a lawyer and landowner, and his son John Paston (1421-1466), who played a significant role in the family's affairs and legal disputes.
Another prominent figure with the surname "PASTON" was Sir Robert Paston (c. 1495-1547), who served as a Member of Parliament and held various positions under King Henry VIII. He was also involved in the dissolution of monasteries during the English Reformation.
In the 16th century, the Paston family gained further prominence through Sir William Paston (c. 1528-1610), who became a Member of Parliament and held the position of High Sheriff of Norfolk. He is known for his involvement in the persecution of Catholics during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The Paston surname can also be found in historical records from the 17th century, such as the marriage of Robert Paston (1631-1679) to Rebecca Lestrange in 1655. Robert Paston was a member of the Paston family from Norfolk and served as a Member of Parliament.
Throughout history, the "PASTON" surname has been associated with various spellings, including Paston, Pasting, and Pasting. While the name originated in Norfolk, it eventually spread to other parts of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paston
Among Census respondents with the surname Paston, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Paston 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 Paston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paston
Paston 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,989 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-28 bearers (-21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,543 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,989 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -28 bearers (-21.2%) | Down 24,543 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 Paston 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 | #129,047 | #153,590 | -19.0% |
| Count | 132 | 104 | -21.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paston bearers went from 132 to 104 (-21.2% change). The surname moved down 24,543 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #153,590.
FAQ
Paston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paston?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Paston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Paston?
Paston ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Paston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Paston.
Has Paston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paston went from 132 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 28 (-21.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Paston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paston, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (3.8%). 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 Paston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Hispanic (6.7%), Black (3.8%). 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 Paston (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 Paston mean?
A locational surname derived from the village of Paston in Norfolk, England. 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 Paston (0.03 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 are called Paston?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Paston? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.