Contents [hide]

Pagan History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Pagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Italy
Scotland
Spain

Some believe the Pagan surname is thought to derive from the Latin medieval personal name Paganus, which also gave us the name Paine.

"The surname of this family, Painel or Paynell, in the Latin of the time 'Paganellus,' is a diminution of Pain or Paganus, and, as was the custom of the time, was no doubt first applied for distinction to a Pain Fitz Pain during his father's life-time, and happened, as in this case, to be perpetuated as a surname, by his descendants." 1

Alternatively, the name was derived from "Painell or Paganel, a great baronial family in Normandy." 2

"Paganus was a Norman personal name, whence the modern Payne and Paine, as well as the more ancient Paganel and Paynel. Pagan, however, exists at this day among English surnames. " 3

Early Origins of the Pagan family

The surname Pagan was first found in Yorkshire. However, some of the family were found at Astwood in the union of Newport-Pagnell in Buckinghamshire since early times. "This place was at the Conquest surveyed as part of the adjoining parish of Hardmead, and belonged to William Fitzanculph, from whom it descended by marriage to Fulk Paganell, the founder of Newport-Pagnell." 4

Back in Yorkshire, at Hooton-Pagnell, another branch of the family was found. "This parish derives the latter part of its name from Ralph de Paganel, to whom the manor belonged at the time of the Conquest." 4

And in Huggate in the East Riding of Yorkshire, more early records of the family were found. "The church is a handsome structure, chiefly in the Norman style, with portions of a later date, and an embattled tower surmounted by a lofty octagonal spire; it is supposed to have been built by Ralph de Paganel, about the year 1233." 4

"The manor [of Little Linford, Buckinghamshire] was anciently in the Pagnells, from whom it came by successive female heirs to the families of Somery, Botetort, Burnell, and Bermingham. " 4

Early History of the Pagan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pagan research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1180 and 1265 are included under the topic Early Pagan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pagan Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Pagan, Paganell, Paganel, Pagnell and others.

Early Notables of the Pagan family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Pagan of Yorkshire

Pagan Ranking

In the United States, the name Pagan is the 1,206^th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 5

Pagan migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Pagan or a variant listed above:

Pagan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Pagan, who settled in Virginia in 1688

Pagan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John James Pagan, who arrived in Virginia in 1709 6
Robert Pagan, who arrived in Maine in 1748
William Pagan, who settled in New York in 1766
Janet Pagan, who arrived in New York sometime between 1783 and 1843

Pagan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Pagan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1831 6
S Pagan, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
L Pagan, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
Ramon Pagan, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 6

Pagan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pagan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Pagan U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Penobscot Association 7
Mr. Robert Pagan Jr., U.E. born in Glasgow, Scotland from Falmouth, Maine, USA who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Penobscot Association 7
Mr. Thomas Pagan U.E. born in Glasgow, Scotland from Falmouth, Maine, USA who settled in Parr Town, Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Penobscot Association, he was a Merchant who returned to Scotland where he died in 1804 7

Pagan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Pagan, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1800
Jane Pagan, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1821

Pagan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pagan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Pagan, (b. 1804), aged 37, Scottish labourer from Dumfries, Scotland, UK travelling aboard the ship "Ward Chapman" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 16th December 1841 8
Mrs. Grace Pagan, (b. 1803), aged 38, Cornish house keeper travelling aboard the ship "Ward Chapman" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 16th December 1841 8
Miss Mary Pagan, (b. 1830), aged 11, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Ward Chapman" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 16th December 1841 8
Miss Elizabeth Jane Pagan, (b. 1833), aged 8, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Ward Chapman" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 16th December 1841 8
Mr. John Pagan, (b. 1804), aged 37, Scottish labourer from Dumfries, Scotland departing from Bristol on 21st August 1841 aboard the ship "Ward Chipman" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 6th December 1841 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pagan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Pagan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Pagan, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Jura" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd September 1858 10
Mr. Archibald Pagan, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd September 1860 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Pagan (post 1700) +

Irmgard Pagan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Puerto Rico, 1996
Carlos M. Pagan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1964
Antonio Pagán (1958-2009), American politician, who held roles in the municipal government of New York City
Ralfi Pagan (1947-1978), Bronx, New York based 'Latin soul ' and salsa singer
José Antonio Pagán (b. 1935), former Major League Baseball player from Puerto Rico
William Pagan U.E. (1744-1819), Scottish-born United Empire Loyalist from Falmouth, Maine, USA who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 to become Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1786 to 1816, brother of Robert Pagan
Robert Pagan U.E. (1750-1821), Scottish-born United Empire Loyalist from Falmouth, Maine, USA who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 to become Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1786 to 1819
Adrian Pagan (b. 1947), Australian economist and Professor of Economics
Angel Anthony Pagán (b. 1981), Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
Denis Pagan (b. 1947), former Australian rules football coach and player in the VFL/AFL
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Pagan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nec timeo nec sperno
Motto Translation: I neither fear nor despise.

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html