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

Paxman, 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 Paxman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paxman in America

Paxman is the 43438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paxman surname appeared 497 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 Paxman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paxman 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 Paxman

The surname Paxman has its origins in England, and it is believed to have first emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "paecca," which means a small bundle or package, and "mann," meaning a person or man. It is thought that the name may have originally referred to a peddler or a merchant who carried their wares in packs or bundles.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Paxman surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from the late 13th century, where a person named Thomas Paxman is listed. The name also appears in various taxation records and legal documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset.

The surname Paxman has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Packman, Pakeman, and Paxeman, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. It is also believed that the name may have been influenced by the Old English word "packhors," meaning a packhouse or a place where goods were stored.

One notable early bearer of the Paxman surname was Sir William Paxman, who lived in the 15th century and served as a member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton in Somerset. Another individual of note was John Paxman, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who was active in the late 16th century and involved in the trade with the Americas.

In the 17th century, the Paxman family established themselves in the city of Norwich, where they became prominent in the weaving and textile industry. One notable member of this branch was Thomas Paxman (1619-1686), a successful cloth merchant and alderman of Norwich.

As the centuries progressed, the Paxman surname spread across various parts of England, with families settling in regions such as Suffolk, Essex, and Gloucestershire. In the 19th century, a notable figure was Henry Paxman (1805-1870), an engineer and inventor from Colchester, Essex, who patented several important improvements to agricultural machinery.

Other notable individuals with the Paxman surname include Charles Paxman (1829-1906), a British engineer and founder of the Paxman Diesel Engine Company, and Jeremy Paxman (born 1950), the renowned British broadcaster and author known for his sharp questioning style on programs like Newsnight and University Challenge.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paxman

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

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

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

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