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

Payen, 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 Payen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Payen in America

Payen is the 35812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Payen surname appeared 627 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 Payen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Payen 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 Payen

The surname Payen has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "paien," which means "pagan" or "non-Christian." This surname was likely given to someone who was perceived as a non-Christian or someone who lived in a predominantly non-Christian area.

The name Payen can be traced back to the 11th century, with records showing it in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France. It is believed that the name was first used as a nickname or descriptive term before becoming a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Payen can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book lists several individuals with the surname Payen, indicating that the name had already spread beyond France by that time.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Hugues Payen (c. 1070-1136) was the first Grand Master of the Knights Templar, a powerful Christian military order during the Crusades. Another prominent individual was Gilles Payen (c. 1530-1598), a French jurist and poet who served as a member of the Parlement of Paris.

During the 13th century, a branch of the Payen family settled in the region of Champagne, where they held lands and titles. One of their descendants, Étienne Payen (c. 1250-1311), was a renowned knight and supporter of King Philip IV of France.

In the 15th century, the name Payen appeared in the town of Châtillon-sur-Seine, located in the Burgundy region of France. A notable figure from this area was Jean Payen (c. 1420-1490), a wealthy merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.

Over the centuries, the surname Payen has undergone various spelling variations, including Paien, Payen, Payenne, and Payn. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribes' interpretations of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Payen

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

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 Payen 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 Payen 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 Payen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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