Origins of the Paterson surname

About the Patersons

We have a total of 185176 records for people with the last name Paterson.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Patersons.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Paterson family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 424North West 190Isle of Man 8Yorkshire 198East Midlands 43West Midlands 50East 160London 828South East 321South West 85South Wales 6Mid Wales 4West Wales 2North Wales 24Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Patersons lived in london

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    41,000 Paterson Travel & migration records
    140,000 Patersons found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Paterson

    How common is your surname?

    350th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Paterson surname. The oldest one dates back to 1100.

    Who were Patersons most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Patersons.

    What are the most common Paterson first names?

    John

    James

    Margaret

    Mary

    Our tell us the names of Paterson family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Patersons

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Commmon female occupations for Patersons in 1921

    Dressmaker

    887

    Domestic Servant

    648

    F S

    573

    Housekeeper

    530

    House Keeper

    425

    Commmon male occupations for Patersons in 1921

    Coal Miner

    2,212

    Farmer

    814

    Joiner

    606

    Tailor

    595

    Farm Servant

    588

    We found over 240,000 family trees with the Paterson surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Patersons.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Paterson family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname