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

Payes, 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 Payes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Payes in America

Payes is the 37125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Payes surname appeared 601 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 Payes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Payes 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 Payes

The surname PAYES has its origins in the French language and can be traced back to the medieval period in France. The name is believed to have derived from the Old French word "paies," which referred to a pagan or non-Christian person. It was likely used as a descriptive surname for individuals who were not of the Christian faith or who lived in areas with a significant non-Christian population.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PAYES can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, England, from the late 12th century. These rolls were administrative records kept by the English government and often included names of individuals living in the region. The appearance of the name PAYES in these rolls suggests that it may have been brought to England by French settlers during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname PAYES was Robert de Payes, a landowner and knight from Dorset, England. Records indicate that he was born around 1220 and held significant properties in the region. Another early bearer of the name was William Payes, a merchant from London who is mentioned in city records from the late 14th century.

The PAYES surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Paynes and Payneswyk, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name over time. One famous individual with the surname was Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, a British inventor and writer on firearms and hunting, who lived from 1838 to 1916.

In France, the surname PAYES can be traced back to the region of Normandy, where it was likely derived from the town of Payns or similar settlements. Notable French individuals with the surname include Jean-Baptiste Payes, a 17th-century painter and engraver from Paris, and Pierre Payes, a 19th-century French historian and author who specialized in the study of medieval literature.

While the surname PAYES has its roots in France and England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Throughout its history, the name has been associated with various professions, from landowners and merchants to artists and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who have carried this surname over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Payes

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

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

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

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