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Payna Family History

Payna Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Pacyna, Payne, Pan, Pang, Papa, Rana, Pay, Dana, Hanna, Penna

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Payna family from?

You can see how Payna families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Payna family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Payna families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1871 there was 1 Payna family living in Fife. This was 100% of all the recorded Payna's in Scotland. Fife had the highest population of Payna families in 1871.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Payna surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Payna ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Payna. 63% of Payna men worked as a Laborer and 43% of Payna women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Payna were Salesman and Maid.

View Census Data for Payna | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    63%
  • Farmer
    19%
  • Salesman
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    43%
  • Cook
    29%
  • Maid
    29%

What Payna family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 475 census records available for the last name Payna. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Payna census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Payna

Passenger Lists

There are 56 immigration records available for the last name Payna. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Payna immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14 military records available for the last name Payna. For the veterans among your Payna ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Payna military records

You've only scratched the surface of Payna family history

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What is the average Payna lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Payna ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Payna

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