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

Paterson, 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 Paterson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paterson in America

Paterson is the 4990th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paterson surname appeared 7,035 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Paterson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paterson 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 Paterson

The surname Paterson originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'pæða' meaning path or road and 'tun' meaning an enclosure or settlement, essentially translating to "the settlement by the road". The name is believed to have been first used to refer to individuals who lived near a well-traveled road or pathway.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Paterson can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls documenting those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland. The name appears as 'Patrisone', possibly referring to a person from the town of Partick near Glasgow.

In the 16th century, the surname Paterson was commonly found in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. The name was often associated with places like Patricksburn and Partickhill, both of which are derived from the same root as the surname.

One notable early bearer of the surname was William Paterson, a Scottish trader, and entrepreneur born in 1658. He was the founder of the Bank of England and played a crucial role in establishing the Darien scheme, an ill-fated attempt to establish a Scottish colony in Panama.

Another historical figure with the surname Paterson was Samuel Paterson, a Scottish mathematician, and astronomer born in 1628. He made significant contributions to the study of navigation and was appointed as the first Regius Professor of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh.

In the literary world, Norah Paterson, a Scottish poet and novelist born in 1900, gained recognition for her works such as "The Singing Close" and "The Homecoming". She was awarded the Saltire Society Book of the Year prize in 1954.

John Paterson, a Scottish engineer and inventor born in 1776, is credited with developing the first practical method for producing artificial ice. His invention, known as the Paterson Refrigerator, was widely used in the early 19th century for preserving food and cooling beverages.

The surname Paterson has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Paterson's Land in Edinburgh, which was a historic residential building dating back to the 17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paterson

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

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

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

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