Pater : 1: Dutch English German and Polish: from Latin pater ‘father’ also used to denote the father superior in a religious order hence probably a nickname for a solemn or pompous man.2: English: nickname from Middle English pater ‘paternoster’; see Paternoster.
Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
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