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

Payne, 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 Payne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Payne in America

Payne is the 195th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Payne surname appeared 142,601 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 48 people would have the surname Payne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Payne 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 Payne

The surname Payne is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "paine" which means bread or food. It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname for a baker or someone who provided bread or food.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Payne dates back to the 12th century in England. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a great survey of land ownership and taxation in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror.

In the 13th century, the name was often spelled as "Paine" or "Payn". It is thought that the surname may have been influenced by the Norman French word "pain" which also means bread.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Payne was Sir Thomas Payne, who lived in the 14th century and was a knight from Worcestershire, England. He served in the wars against France and Scotland.

Another notable historical figure with the surname Payne was Thomas Payne, a 16th century English printer and publisher. He is known for publishing works by notable authors such as Thomas More and John Skelton.

In the 17th century, Robert Payne, an English clergyman and scholar, gained recognition for his work as a translator and his writings on theology. He was born in 1619 and died in 1682.

During the 18th century, John Payne, an English poet and translator, made significant contributions to English literature. He was born in 1732 and is known for his translations of ancient Arabic and Persian literature.

In the 19th century, James Payne, an English architect, gained prominence for his work on various buildings in London, including the Reform Club and the travellers' club.

The surname Payne has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Payne's Park in Hertfordshire and Payne's Hill in Surrey.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Payne

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

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

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

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