Pay Family History

Pay Surname Meaning

Irish (County Kilkenny): from the Old and Middle English female personal name Pega taken to Ireland by English settlers. Peakirk in Northamptonshire England is named for Saint Pega (died c. 719) who reputedly founded a cell there.

English (mainly Kent): variant of Pea.

French: variant of Paille.

French: habitational name from any of several places called Le Pay e.g. in Rhône and Vendée.

French: variant of Pays, a topographic name from pays ‘region country’ used to denote a fellow countryman.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Hay, May, Ray, Gay, Day, Say, Fay, Kay, Bay, Pray

38K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
31K	Military Records
3K	Immigration Records
31K	Census and Voter Lists
42K	Member Trees

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

Where is the Pay family from?

You can see how Pay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pay families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 360 Pay families living in Kent. This was about 36% of all the recorded Pay's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Pay families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Pay

What did your Pay ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pay. 11% of Pay men worked as a Gardener and 73% of Pay women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pay were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Pay

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.

Gardener

11%

General labourer

Painter

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

73%

Unpaid domestic

Domestic duties

Housewife

What Pay family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 31K census records available for the last name Pay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pay

Passenger List

There are 3K immigration records available for the last name Pay. 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 Pay immigration records

Military Records

There are 31K military records available for the last name Pay. For the veterans among your Pay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pay family history

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What is the average Pay lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Pay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Pay in 1952 was 46, and 81 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pay family tree

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Pay Surname Meaning

English (mainly Kent): variant of Pea.

French: variant of Paille.

French: habitational name from any of several places called Le Pay e.g. in Rhône and Vendée.

French: variant of Pays, a topographic name from pays ‘region country’ used to denote a fellow countryman.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Pay family from?

What did your Pay ancestors do for a living?

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.

Gardener

11%

General labourer

Painter

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

73%

Unpaid domestic

Domestic duties

Housewife

What Pay family records will you find?

What is the average Pay lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Pay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Pay in 1952 was 46, and 81 in 2004.

Pay Family History

Pay Surname Meaning

146,000 record(s) for Pay

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

Where is the Pay family from?

What did your Pay ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Pay family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Pay family history

What is the average Pay lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pay family tree

Search for another surname

Pay Surname Meaning

146,000 record(s) for Pay

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

Where is the Pay family from?

What did your Pay ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Pay family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Pay family history

What is the average Pay lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pay family tree

Search for another surname