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

Paynter, 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 Paynter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paynter in America

Paynter is the 9756th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paynter surname appeared 3,322 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 Paynter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paynter 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 Paynter

The surname Paynter has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old French word "peintor," meaning "painter." This suggests that the name was originally borne by someone who worked as a painter or artist.

The earliest recorded instance of the Paynter surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a certain Richard le Peyntour was mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's French roots and provides evidence of its use in England during the 13th century.

During the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms in historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, which list a John le Payntour, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332, which mention a William le Peyntour.

One notable early bearer of the Paynter surname was John Paynter, a 15th-century English monk and author who lived from around 1420 to 1490. He is best known for his work "The Assize of Bread," which provided guidelines for the regulation of bread prices and weights.

In the 16th century, the Paynter surname continued to be recorded in various parts of England. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1524 list a Richard Paynter, while the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1572 mention a William Paynter.

Another significant figure with the Paynter surname was William Paynter, a 17th-century English merchant and philanthropist who lived from 1637 to 1716. He was a prominent figure in the City of London and made substantial donations to various charitable causes, including the establishment of almshouses and schools.

In the 18th century, the Paynter surname appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Devon and Cornwall in southwestern England. Notable individuals from this period include John Paynter (1696-1768), a renowned clockmaker from Tavistock, Devon, and Thomas Paynter (1732-1803), a Church of England clergyman and author from Cornwall.

As the centuries progressed, the Paynter surname continued to be found throughout England, with various bearers making their mark in various fields, including the arts, business, and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paynter

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

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

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

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