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Origins of the Payne surname

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What does the name Payne mean?

Payne is often used as a patronymic surname, originating in England. It was given to those who were the son or descendant of somebody with the given name 'Payn', 'Pain' or 'Paine', diminutive forms of the medieval name 'Pagan'. Pagan was a popular given name throughout the 1100s, 1200s and 1300s, with the 'Payne' surname appearing in records from the 1200s onwards.

Alternative variations of the name Payne

Payne, Paine, Pain, Payn, Pane

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Where do most Paynes live?

In 1921, most Paynes lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Paynes

How common is your surname?

119th most common surname in the UK

We have 283,000 records for the Payne surname. The oldest one dates back to .

Who were Paynes most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Joneses

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Paynes.

What are the most common Payne first names?

  • William
  • John
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Payne family members

Common jobs for Paynes

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Paynes in 1921
Dressmaker

1,310

Laundress

1,041

Domestic Servant

778

General Servant Domestic

689

General Servant

513

Common Male occupations for Paynes in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

1,551

General Labourer

1,147

Farm Labourer

906

Carpenter

887

Gardener

520

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 350,000 family trees with the Payne surname

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