History of your Surname
Get access to Paternoster family records.Start a free trial

Paternoster Family History

Paternoster Name Meaning

English German French Flemish Walloon Italian (Apulia and Basilicata) and Slovenian: from Latin pater noster ‘Our Father’ the opening words of the Lord's Prayer which is represented by large beads punctuating the rosary. The surname was a (metonymic) occupational name for a maker of rosaries often a shortened form of the Middle English Middle High German occupational term paternosterer. It may also have been originally a nickname for an excessively pious individual or for someone who was under a feudal obligation to say paternosters for his master as part of the service by which he held land. In England the name is sometimes due to the service by which land was held whereby a number of paternosters were said instead of a monetary payment being made.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Fenster, Panter, Tester, Painter, Parmenter, Poster, Preister

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Paternoster family from?

You can see how Paternoster families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Paternoster family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Paternoster families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 48 Paternoster families living in Suffolk. This was about 27% of all the recorded Paternoster's in United Kingdom. Suffolk had the highest population of Paternoster families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Paternoster surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Paternoster ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Paternoster. 18% of Paternoster men worked as a Builders Labourer and 79% of Paternoster women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Paternoster were General Labourer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Paternoster | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Builders Labourer
    18%
  • Milk Roundsman
    12%
  • Farm Labourer
    12%
  • General Labourer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • School Teacher
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Paternoster family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Paternoster. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Paternoster census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Paternoster

Passenger Lists

There are 897 immigration records available for the last name Paternoster. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Paternoster immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 688 military records available for the last name Paternoster. For the veterans among your Paternoster ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Paternoster military records

You've only scratched the surface of Paternoster family history

Discover More

What is the average Paternoster lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Paternoster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Paternoster in 1954 was 56, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Paternoster

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Paternoster family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Paternoster last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial