2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Paswaters
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "pass" and "waters."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Paswaters. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paswaters 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Paswaters in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paswaters, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paswaters
The surname PASWATERS is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "paðe" meaning path or road, and "wæter" meaning water, essentially denoting someone who lived near a path or road by a body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Padewatre". This entry suggests that the name was in use by the late 11th century in various parts of England.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various records and documents with slightly different spellings, such as "Padewatere", "Padwatyr", and "Patwater". These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices of the time.
The first known person bearing the surname PASWATERS was Sir John Paswaters, a knight who lived in the late 13th century. He was a prominent landowner in the county of Gloucestershire and was recorded in several charters and land deeds from that period.
Another notable figure was William Paswaters, born in 1402, who was a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He was involved in the wool trade and played an active role in the city's governance during the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name was associated with the village of Paswater in Hertfordshire, which likely derived its name from the same origins as the surname. One notable resident was Thomas Paswaters, born in 1535, who served as the village's constable and was involved in local affairs.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a soldier named Robert Paswaters fought for the Parliamentarian forces. He was recorded as being present at the Battle of Naseby in 1645, one of the decisive engagements of the war.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Elizabeth Paswaters, born in 1712, who was a renowned botanist and naturalist. She contributed significantly to the study of plant life in her native Warwickshire and published several works on the subject.
While the PASWATERS surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England and the Old English language. The name's origins reflect the geographical features of the areas where it first emerged, providing a glimpse into the lives of those who bore it over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paswaters
Among Census respondents with the surname Paswaters, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Paswaters 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 Paswaters surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino12.7% · 15
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paswaters
Paswaters 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,941 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 6,941 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 Paswaters 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 | #150,452 | #143,511 | 4.6% |
| Count | 109 | 118 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paswaters bearers went from 109 to 118 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 6,941 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #143,511.
FAQ
Paswaters surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paswaters?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Paswaters. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Paswaters?
Paswaters ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Paswaters. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Paswaters.
Has Paswaters become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paswaters went from 109 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Paswaters?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paswaters, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Paswaters in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paswaters appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (12.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Paswaters (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 Paswaters mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "pass" and "waters." 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 Paswaters (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 Paswaters?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.