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

Paw, 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 Paw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paw in America

Paw is the 13642nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paw surname appeared 2,220 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Paw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paw 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 Paw

The surname PAW is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "paw," which means "paw" or "foot." It first appeared in the late 12th century, primarily in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it was used as a descriptive name for someone with large or distinctive feet or hands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentions a William Paw. Another early reference is in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1260, where a Robert Paw is listed.

In medieval times, the name Paw was sometimes associated with occupations involving animals, such as falconers or huntsmen, whose hands and feet were heavily calloused from handling birds of prey or tracking game.

The surname Paw is also found in various place names across England, such as Pawlett in Somerset, which was recorded as Pauelet in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname for people living in or near places with similar names.

Notable historical figures with the surname Paw include Sir John Paw (c. 1350-1420), a knight and landowner from Lancashire who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Richard II. Another prominent figure was Robert Paw (1560-1635), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Halton in Buckinghamshire.

In the 17th century, the Paw family established themselves in the American colonies, with Thomas Paw (1620-1690) being one of the earliest recorded settlers, arriving in Virginia in 1638. His descendants went on to become prominent landowners and politicians in the region.

Other significant individuals with the Paw surname include William Paw (1790-1860), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir Joseph Paw (1825-1902), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Birmingham.

Throughout its history, the surname Paw has maintained its distinct character, reflecting its origins as a descriptive and locational name rooted in the English countryside.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paw

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

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

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

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