Show ContentsPaype History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

To the ancient Scottish name Paype was a nickname for a confident or haughty person. Paype is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Paype comes from the Old English word pope, which referred to the Bishop of Rome, and the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Although this is also a title of office, as a surname, it was most often applied as a nickname. 1

Early Origins of the Paype family

The surname Paype was first found in Elgin where "a family of Paips or Papes appear to have belonged originally, and some of them were in the legs profession before the Reformation. In Caithness, Sutherland, and Orkney, the surname is still pronounced Paip. In 1363 William Pop, son and heir of William Pop, burgess of Elgin, made a gift to the altar of the Virgin in the church of S. Giles in Elgin, and in 1375 there is mention of Robert Pop of Elgin. Adam Popp and Robertus Popp were jurors on an assize regarding the mill lands of Quarelwode in 1389." 2

Early History of the Paype family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paype research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1137, 1393, 1397, 1400, 1507, 1516, 1540, 1559, 1573, 1580, 1585, 1596, 1598, 1599, 1602, 1603, 1606, 1611, 1622, 1624, 1627, 1631, 1653, 1660, 1688, 1714, 1744 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Paype History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paype Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Paype has been spelled Pope, Paip, Pape, Paipe, Popp and others.

Early Notables of the Paype family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Thomas Pope (died 1400), from Gloucester, was an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Gloucester in 1393 and 1397; Sir Thomas Pope (1507-1559), English founder of Trinity College, Oxford, elder son of William Pope, a small landowner at Deddington, near Banbury; and Walter Pope (c. 1627-1714), an English astronomer and poet from Northamptonshire.Sir William Pope (1573-1631) of Wroxton Abbey, near Banbury, was...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Paype Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Paype family

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Paype: Elizabeth Pope, who was on record in Virginia in 1621; Thomas Pope, on record in Virginia in 1623; George Pope, who came to Jamestown, VA in 1624; Anthony Pope, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1635.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


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