PAINTER
The surname Painter is of English origin and is classified as an occupational name.
Its derivation can be traced to the Middle English term peyntour, which literally means “painter.” The term was applied to those who practised the art of painting, whether as artists or as artisans who applied paint to buildings or objects.
An alternative origin is a specific reference to painted stained glass. In this context the name originates from the Middle English period (1200–1500) and from the Old French word peinto(u)r, also meaning “painter.”
The earliest recorded instance of the name is Richard de Paintur, dated to 1240 in the Feet of Fines of Yorkshire, a document compiled during the reign of King Henry I, who reigned from 1100 to 1119.
Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries the surname appears in several historical records. John Peynter is noted as a witness in the Assize Court Rolls of Kent in 1317, and Thomas Peyntour is mentioned in the cartulary of Osneney Abbey in Oxfordshire in 1430. Variants such as Paynter and Peyntue were common in medieval documents.
London church registers provide additional evidence of the surname’s prevalence. For example, the marriage of John Paynter to Margery Taylor took place on 19 October 1530, and the union of Thomas Painter with Emme Wyllet was recorded on 4 July 1540.
Among the earliest notable bearers of the name was William Painter, who lived approximately from 1540 to 1594. He authored the early work the Palace of Pleasure, published in 1566, which reflects the cultural milieu of Tudor England.
During the early modern period the surname crossed the Atlantic. An early emigrant named Elin Painter is recorded as a resident of Virginia in 1623. In the 19th century, Michael Painter, aged 20, departed Liverpool for New York aboard the ship Hayti on 4 June 1846.
The continuity of the name from the 13th century to the present day demonstrates its enduring presence within English society. Its occupational origin remains evident in the form and meaning of the surname, which continues to be borne by families across the British Isles and in the diaspora.
Typical given names associated with the Painter surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Alison
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Melanie
- Nicola
- Pamela
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Painter in...
Braille
⠏⠁⠊⠝⠞⠑⠗
Morse
.--..-..-.-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 6,298 people named Painter in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,507th most common surname in Britain. Around 97 in a million people in Britain are named Painter.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Painter
- Kevin Painter - Darts player
- Charles Adrian Scott Stokes 23 December 1854 - 30 November 1935) was an English landscape painter. - Artist (1854 to 1935)
- Robbie Painter - Football player
- Marcos Painter - Irish football player
- George D. Painter - Writer (1914 to 2005)
- Lance Painter - Baseball player
- Trevor Painter - Football player (1949 to 2012)
- Kenneth Painter - (1935 to 2016)
- William Hunt Painter - Curate and rector known for his botany (1835 to 1910)
- John Painter - Cricketer (1856 to 1900)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.