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

Phaison, 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 Phaison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phaison in America

Phaison is the 145220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phaison surname appeared 114 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 Phaison.

The history of the last name Phaison

The surname Phaison is of English origin, first appearing in historical records in the late 16th century. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the surname Payson, which itself is derived from the Old French name Paien or Payan, meaning "pagan" or "heathen". This was likely a nickname given to someone who lived in a predominantly Christian area but did not convert to Christianity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Phaison surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, where a William Phaison was christened in 1592. The name also appears in the Sussex Musters of 1638, where a John Phaison is listed as a resident of the village of Petworth.

In the late 17th century, the Phaison surname began to spread to other parts of England, with records showing families of this name in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Phaison, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bristol who lived from 1650 to 1721.

During the 18th century, several members of the Phaison family emigrated to the American colonies, with some settling in New England and others in the Mid-Atlantic states. One of the earliest known Phaisons in America was William Phaison, who was born in Dorset, England, in 1725 and later immigrated to Pennsylvania.

Another prominent individual with the Phaison surname was Sir George Phaison, an English naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1770 in Devon and rose through the ranks to become a respected captain, commanding several ships during his career. He died in 1845.

In the 19th century, the Phaison name continued to be found in various parts of England, with records showing families in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Warwickshire. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Charles Phaison, a successful businessman and philanthropist from Birmingham, who lived from 1823 to 1895.

While not a particularly common surname, the Phaison name has persisted throughout the centuries, with bearers of this name making their mark in various fields, including commerce, military service, and civic leadership. Despite its relatively obscure origins, the surname Phaison has left an indelible mark on the historical records of both England and the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phaison

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

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 Phaison 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.

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

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

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