Show ContentsPayette History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Payette family

The surname Payette was first found in Dauphiny (French: Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois), a former province in southeastern France, where this family held a family seat from very early times.

One of the first records of the family was Hugues de Payens (or Payns) (c. 1070-1136), the Frankish knight from the Champagne region who was the co-founder and first Grand Master of the Knights Templar. He co-created the Latin Rule, the code of behavior for the Order and is believed to have been born in Troyes, France, but his lineage is unknown.

Jacques Payen, son of Jacques and Madeleine (née Cantin), was a French cobbler that settled in Quebec in the 17th century. He married Louise Morin, daughter of Pierre and Catherine (née LeMesle), on 3rd February 1699. He married again on 16th October 1710 in Sainte-Foy, Quebec to Marguerite Sedilot, daughter of Jean and Marie-Claire (née De La Hogue). [1]

Early History of the Payette family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Payette research. Another 320 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1279, 1380, 1415, 1450, 1503, 1512, 1539, 1559, 1572, 1610, 1612, 1613, 1653, 1700, 1712, 1779, 1793, 1794 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Payette History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Payette Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Payan, Payen, Payon, Payont, Payond, Payons, Paian, Paien, Paion, Paiont, Paions, Pagan, Pagant, Pagani, Payani, Payhani and many more.

Early Notables of the Payette family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Jean Poyer (c.1450-1503), a French miniature painter and manuscript illuminator; Johann Conrad Peyer (1653-1712), a Swiss anatomist; and Hector...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Payette Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Payette Ranking

In Quebec, Canada, the name Payette is the 614th most popular surname. [2]


United States Payette migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Payette Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Louis Payette, aged 39, who settled in America from Queenstown, in 1904
  • Annonciade Payette, aged 25, who immigrated to America from Paris, France, in 1908
  • Mark V. Payette, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1919
  • Kathleen Payette, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1921
  • William V. Payette, aged 27, who settled in America, in 1922
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Payette (post 1700) +

  • Lisa L. Payette, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Portsmouth 1st Ward, 1956 [3]
  • Joseph Payette, American politician, Mayor of Plattsburgh, New York, 1907 [3]
  • Fernand Payette (1921-1993), Canadian wrestler who competed in the men's freestyle light heavyweight at the 1948 Summer Olympics
  • Brayden Payette (b. 2000), Canadian gold medalist curler from Brandon, Manitoba
  • Julie Payette OC, CQ (b. 1963), Canadian Space Agency astronaut with over 25 days in space, 29th Governor General of Canada (2017-2021) [4]
  • Lise Payette OQ (1931-2018), Canadian politician, journalist, writer, and businesswoman, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Cooperatives and Financial Institutions of Quebec (1976-1980), Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Dorion (1976-1981)
  • Andre Payette (1976-2022), Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Philadelphia Flyers (1997-2017)
  • Jean Payette (b. 1946), retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward
  • Louis Payette (1854-1932), Canadian construction contractor and politician, Mayor of Montreal (1908 to 1910)
  • Francois Payette (1793-1844), Canadian fur trader who worked for the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company, eponym of Pyette River, Idaho and Payette, Oregon


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Julie Payette. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/payette.html


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