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

Paustian, 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 Paustian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paustian in America

Paustian is the 32960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paustian surname appeared 695 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 Paustian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paustian 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 Paustian

The surname Paustian originated in Germany, likely during the late medieval period or the Renaissance era. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Paust," which means "fist" or "punch." This could suggest that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone with a particularly strong or forceful fist, perhaps a skilled fighter or tradesman.

One of the earliest records of the Paustian name dates back to the 16th century in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In the town of Halle, a document from 1587 mentions a certain Hans Paustian, a baker by trade. This suggests that the name had already been established in the area for some time.

During the 17th century, the name Paustian began to appear in various church records and municipal documents across central and northern Germany. Some notable individuals from this period include Johann Paustian (1612-1678), a Lutheran pastor in the town of Quedlinburg, and Christoph Paustian (1655-1721), a merchant and landowner in the city of Hamburg.

As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Pausten, Paustian, and Paustiann. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the names.

In the 18th century, the Paustian name gained prominence in the field of academia. One notable figure was Johann Friedrich Paustian (1726-1803), a renowned philosopher and professor at the University of Göttingen. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely studied and influential during the Enlightenment period.

Moving into the 19th century, the name Paustian can be found in various military records, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars and the wars of German unification. One such individual was Wilhelm Paustian (1818-1892), a Prussian officer who fought in the Austro-Prussian War and later became a respected military strategist and writer.

Throughout its history, the Paustian name has been associated with various professions, from bakers and merchants to academics and military officers. While not a particularly common surname, it has left its mark across different regions of Germany and has contributed to the rich tapestry of German cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paustian

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!