Paynes Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient Normans that arrived in England following the Conquest of 1066 are the initial ancestors from which the many generations of the Paynes family have grown. The name Paynes was given to a member of the family who was a person who lives in the country or a person who's religious beliefs are somewhat suspect. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word paien, which was originally derived from the Latin word paganus, meaning rustic or countryman. It later also came to mean heathen and was often given to children whose baptism was delayed or, to adults whose religious zeal was not what the standards of the day indicated it should have been.

Conversely, many believe that the family claim Norman descent as in "Paganus was a Norman personal name, whence the modern Payne and Paine, as well as the more ancient Paganel and Paynel. William the Conqueror was assisted in his invasion, by several persons so designated, and in [the] Domesday Book we find among his tenants in capite, or chief holders of land, the names of Ralph Paganel and Edmund filius Pagani, i.e., Fitz-Payne. Indeed during the Norman dynasty, Paganus was one of the most common names in England." 1

Early Origins of the Paynes family

The surname Paynes was first found in Somerset where the aforementioned Edmund filius Pagen (Pagani) 2 was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The same source also lists the aforementioned Ralph Paganel as Radulfus Paganus, again in Somerset. 2

Almost one hundred years later, Reginaldus filius Pain was listed as a Knights Templar in 1185 in Lincolnshire. The Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire list John Pane in 1190 and the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire list Robert Pain in 1200. Payn de Weston was listed in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268. 3

Sir John Paynell of Drax, from Yorkshire was summoned to Parliament as a Baron from the 29th of December 1299 to the 25th of August 1318. 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 have numerous entries as a forename and surname including: Payne de Stantin in Norfolk; Robert filius Payn in Huntingdonshire; and Gilbert Payn in Essex. 5

The parish of Stourpain in Dorset "derives its name from its situation near the river Stour, which runs on the west and south, and from one of its earliest proprietors, named Paine." 6 "A priory of Black canons, in honour of St. James, was founded here [in Warter in the East Riding of Yorkshire] in 1132, by Geoffry Fitz-Pain." 6

"It is however, remarkable that a colony of Paynes has been established across the Scottish border in Dumfriesshire. " 7

Early History of the Paynes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paynes research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1455, 1489, 1506, 1532, 1582, 1630, 1632, 1652, 1695, 1698, 1704, 1710, 1713, 1715, 1717, 1789 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Paynes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paynes Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Paynes has been recorded under many different variations, including Payne, Paine, Paynell, Pane, Pain and others.

Early Notables of the Paynes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Peter Payne (died 1455), English lollard and Taborite, born at Hough-on-the-Hill, near Grantham, Lincolnshire; Saint John Paine (1532-1582), English Catholic priest and martyr; Elizabeth Pain (c. 1652-1704), sometimes spelled Payne, English spinster in Boston who was brought to trial after the death of her child, she was acquitted of the murder charge but found guilty of negligence, fined, and flogged, some believe is the inspiration for the character Hester Prynne in the novel The Scarlet...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Paynes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Paynes family to Ireland

Some of the Paynes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 142 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paynes migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Payness were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Paynes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Paynes, who landed in Virginia in 1650 8

Paynes migration to Australia +

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

Paynes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Paynes (Poyner), (b. 1816), aged 22, Cornish farmer travelling aboard the ship "Orient" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1839 9
Alf Paynes, aged 18, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Switzerland"

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_bounty_nsw.pdf