# Paterson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/paterson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 7,035 |
| US rank (2010) | 4,990 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 43,887 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.3% (6,809 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpætəɹ.sən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From a Middle English short form of Patrick + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Paterson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.8% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Paterson in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Argentina.

## People named Paterson

- David Paterson, 55th Governor of New York from 2008 to 2010
- Katherine Paterson, American children's writer born and mainly raised in China
- Andrew Barton Paterson, Australian journalist, author and poet (1864 - 1941)
- Tim Paterson, American computer programmer
- Isabel Paterson, author and editor (1886–1961)
- Jodi Ann Paterson, American actress and model
- Pat Paterson, British actress (1910-1978)
- Vincent Paterson, American choreographer and film director
- Amy Paterson, Argentinian composer (1912–2019)

## Similar surnames

Peterson, Patterson, Pederson, Petterson, Patricio, Petras, Petros, Peters, Patrick, Petersen, Pedersen, Pedraza.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.