Explore the Family Name Paton

The meaning of Paton

1. English and Scottish: variant of Patton. 2. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Peatáin, see Payton. 3. English: from either of two places called Patton in Shropshire and Westmorland. The Shropshire placename is recorded as Peattingtune in 901 and derives from an Old English personal name Peatta + Old English connective -ing- + tūn ‘farmstead, estate’. The Westmorland placename is recorded as Patun in 1086 and derives from Old English pæth ‘path, track’ or an Old English personal name Patta + Old English tūn. 4. French: nickname derived from Old French paté ‘with paws, pawed’ or paste ‘pastry, meat dish surrounded by dough’ (see Pate).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Paton in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Paton ranked 10,375 in terms of popularity in the year 2000 and slightly dropped to 10,491 in 2010, marking a decrease of 1.12 percent in its ranking. The number of people bearing the Paton surname, however, increased by 7.48 percent during the same period, from 2,846 in 2000 to 3,059 in 2010. Despite this increase, the proportion of individuals with the surname Paton per 100,000 individuals marginally declined by 1.89 percent, from 1.06 in 2000 to 1.04 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#10,375#10,491-1.12%
Count2,8463,0597.48%
Proportion per 100k1.061.04-1.89%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Paton

When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Paton, it's noticeable that based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were shifts in the distribution between 2000 and 2010. People identifying as White remained the primary group, although their percentage decreased slightly from 90.16% in 2000 down to 87.48% in 2010. Notably, those identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 69.79%, rising from 2.35% in 2000 to 3.99% in 2010. Similarly, individuals identifying as Black increased by 21.76%, from 4.32% to 5.26%. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also grew by 55.95%, albeit from a smaller base, increasing from 0.84% to 1.31%. However, the representation of those identifying as Two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native declined by 17.88% and 7.55% respectively.

20002010Change
White90.16%87.48%-2.97%
Black4.32%5.26%21.76%
Hispanic2.35%3.99%69.79%
Two or More Races1.79%1.47%-17.88%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.84%1.31%55.95%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.53%0.49%-7.55%

Paton ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Paton is British & Irish, which comprises 66.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (12.9%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish66.1%
French & German12.9%
Eastern European4.0%
Other17.0%
Paton

Possible origins of the surname Paton

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Paton have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Lancashire, United Kingdom88.10%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom88.10%
Greater London, United Kingdom88.10%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom88.10%
Merseyside, United Kingdom88.10%

What Paton haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Paton is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and I-M253, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Beaumont, Mcnulty, Rosser, Collings, Pauley, Hendry, Loyd, Stead, Maxwell, Hulbert.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Paton surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

patonPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Paton have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Paton

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Paton" Surname 30.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Paton

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Paton" Surname 27.3%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Paton

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Paton" Surname 22.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Paton

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Paton" Surname 16.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Paton?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Paton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%