Find out how popular the last name Pait is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pait.

Pait, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pait surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pait in America

Pait is the 25725th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pait surname appeared 958 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pait.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pait to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pait

The surname PAIT is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "pait", which means "payment" or "toll". This suggests that the name may have been associated with a person who worked as a tax collector or toll keeper.

The earliest recorded instances of the PAIT surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. Some of the earliest documented bearers of the name include Guillaume PAIT, who was mentioned in the records of the town of Rouen in 1257, and Jean PAIT, who was listed in the tax records of the village of Bayeux in 1289.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the PAIT surname began to spread beyond Normandy to other parts of France, as well as to neighboring regions such as Flanders and the Low Countries. This was likely due to the migration of individuals seeking new opportunities or fleeing conflicts and wars.

One notable individual bearing the PAIT surname was Jacques PAIT (c. 1420-1492), a French merchant and financier who played a significant role in the economic affairs of the city of Lyon during the Renaissance period. Another prominent figure was Étienne PAIT (1568-1638), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris.

In the 17th century, some members of the PAIT family emigrated to the French colonies in the Americas, particularly in the Caribbean and Canada. One such individual was Pierre PAIT (1632-1689), who settled in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) and became a successful plantation owner.

As the PAIT surname spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, including Pait, Pate, Paitte, and Peets. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes and clerks.

Among the notable bearers of the PAIT surname in more recent history were the French writer and poet Alphonse PAIT (1810-1878), and the Belgian sculptor and artist Jules PAIT (1856-1924).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pait

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pait.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pait was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pait has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pait was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pait, please contact us.

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