2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Paison
A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a pea field or pea pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Paison. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paison surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Paison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paison, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paison
The surname PAISON is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pais," which means "peace" or "peaceable." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone known for their peaceful or calm demeanor.
During the Middle Ages, the use of surnames became more widespread, and many people adopted surnames based on their occupation, physical characteristics, or place of residence. The PAISON surname likely emerged as a variant spelling of "Pais" or "Pays," which was a common surname in various parts of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PAISON surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record from 1273. Here, a person named Walter Paison is mentioned, indicating that the name was already in use during the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the PAISON surname appeared in several historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a Richard Payson. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 also mentioned a John Payson, further solidifying the presence of this surname in various regions of England.
Notable individuals with the PAISON surname throughout history include:
1. William Paison (c. 1460 - 1519), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
2. Thomas Paison (c. 1530 - 1598), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Reigate during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
3. Elizabeth Paison (c. 1570 - 1635), a renowned English herbalist and apothecary who authored several influential works on medicinal plants.
4. Samuel Paison (c. 1620 - 1678), an English Puritan minister and author known for his sermons and theological writings.
5. Jane Paison (c. 1745 - 1810), a British philanthropist and social reformer who established several schools and orphanages in her hometown of Bristol.
The PAISON surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Payson's Green in Buckinghamshire and Payson's Field in Oxfordshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the PAISON surname who resided or owned land in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paison
Among Census respondents with the surname Paison, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Paison bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Paison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.4% · 8
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paison
Paison appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+16 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,370 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-15 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 6,370 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 14,486 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Paison surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #136,449 | #150,935 | -10.6% |
| Count | 123 | 108 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paison bearers went from 123 to 108 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 14,486 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #150,935.
FAQ
Paison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paison?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Paison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Paison?
Paison ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Paison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Paison.
Has Paison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paison went from 123 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Paison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paison, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%) and Black (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Paison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%), Black (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Paison (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Paison mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a pea field or pea pasture. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Paison (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Paison?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.