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

Pater, 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 Pater surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pater in America

Pater is the 23205th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pater surname appeared 1,099 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 Pater.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pater 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 Pater

The surname Pater originated from the Latin word "pater" meaning father. It is believed to have first appeared in Italy during the Roman Empire period. The name likely referred to a person who was a patriarch or head of a family or religious order.

In the Middle Ages, the surname Pater was found in various regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Rome, Florence, and Venice. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Italian manuscripts and church records from the 12th and 13th centuries.

One notable historical reference to the name Pater is in the registers of the University of Bologna, which date back to the 13th century. Here, several individuals with the surname Pater are listed as students and scholars.

In the 14th century, a Venetian merchant named Marco Pater was recorded as having traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean region, conducting trade with various ports and cities.

During the Renaissance period, the Pater family was prominent in Florence, where they were patrons of the arts and supported several notable artists and writers of the time. One member of the family, Giovanni Pater (1470-1536), was a renowned humanist scholar and philosopher.

In the 17th century, the Pater surname spread beyond Italy to other parts of Europe. A Dutch artist named Joachim Pater (1620-1678) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and etchings.

Another notable figure with the surname Pater was Walter Pater (1839-1894), an English essayist and critic who was a key figure in the Aesthetic Movement of the late 19th century.

Other individuals with the surname Pater who made significant contributions include the French philosopher and theologian Claude Pater (1612-1685), the German composer and organist Johann Pater (1680-1737), and the American author and educator Mary Lewis Pater (1853-1940).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pater

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

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

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

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