2000
#80,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Paterra
An Italian surname derived from the word "paterra" meaning potter or potter's workshop.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 256 Americans carry the last name Paterra. That puts it at #89,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,338,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paterra 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
256
1 in 1,338,884
Census rank
#89,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
223
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 223 bearers of the surname Paterra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 89231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paterra, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paterra
The surname Paterra is of Italian origin, with roots traced back to the regions of Campania and Calabria in southern Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "paterra," which translates to "pottery maker" or "potter." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the pottery trade or craft.
In the 14th century, records show a family by the name of Paterra residing in the city of Naples, Campania. This early mention of the surname can be found in a municipal document dated 1348, which lists a certain Giovanni Paterra as a resident and potter of the San Lorenzo neighborhood.
The Paterra surname also appears in historical records from the nearby region of Calabria. One notable example is a land deed from 1523, which mentions a Francesco Paterra as the owner of a vineyard in the town of Cosenza.
During the Renaissance period, a few individuals with the Paterra surname gained recognition for their contributions to the arts and literature. One such figure was the poet and playwright Girolamo Paterra (1520-1588), who was born in Salerno, Campania, and is known for his work "La Tragedia di Rosmunda."
Another notable Paterra was the sculptor and architect Tommaso Paterra (1556-1636), who was born in Reggio Calabria and is credited with the design and construction of several churches and palaces in his native region.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Paterra family settled in Sicily, where they established a successful pottery business. One of the most prominent members of this Sicilian line was Vincenzo Paterra (1745-1814), a master potter whose works are still highly regarded for their intricate designs and craftsmanship.
As the centuries passed, the Paterra surname continued to spread throughout Italy and beyond, with some bearers of the name emigrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. However, the name's origins and ties to the pottery trade in southern Italy remain a significant part of its rich history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paterra
Among Census respondents with the surname Paterra, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Paterra 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 Paterra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 202
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 9
- Two or more races3.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paterra
Paterra 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
#79,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 239
+20 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 904 places
2020
#89,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223
-16 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 9,633 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,502 | 219 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,598 | 239 | 0.08 | +20 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 904 places |
| 2020 | #89,231 | 223 | 0.07 | -16 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 9,633 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 Paterra 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 | #79,598 | #89,231 | -12.1% |
| Count | 239 | 223 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paterra bearers went from 239 to 223 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 9,633 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,598 to #89,231.
FAQ
Paterra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paterra?
Name Census estimates that about 256 living Americans carry the surname Paterra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,338,884 residents.
How common is Paterra?
Paterra ranks #89,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 223 people with the surname Paterra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (256), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Paterra.
Has Paterra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paterra went from 239 recorded bearers to 223. That is a decrease of 16 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #79,598 to #89,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Paterra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paterra, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Paterra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (202 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paterra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Paterra (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 Paterra mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "paterra" meaning potter or potter's workshop. 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 Paterra (0.07 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 Paterra?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Paterra is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.