Show ContentsPay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Pay family

The surname Pay was first found in Bolgna (Latin: Bononia), the largest city and the capital of Emilia-Romagna Region. The famous University of Bolgna was founded in the 11th century, by the 13th century the student body was nearly 10,000. Dante and Petrarch studied there. Tisso was tried there for 1564 for writing satirical poems. Bologna naturally, is famous for its sausages. But many noted scholars were born there. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time was in itself a family honor.

Early History of the Pay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pay research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1223, 1570, 1580, 1623, 1695, 1735 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Pay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pay Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pace, Paci, Pasi, Pase, Pasio, Paciello, Pacelli, Pacenti, Pasini, Pasino, Pasetto, Pasutti, Pascelli, Pascel and many more.

Early Notables of the Pay family

More information is included under the topic Early Pay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Pay migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pay Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • James Pay, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 1
Pay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Pay, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1812 1
  • C Pay, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 1

Pay migration to Australia +

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

Pay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Pay 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:

Pay Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Pay, aged 40, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Howrah" in 1874
  • Ann Pay, aged 40, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Howrah" in 1874
  • Emma Pay, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Howrah" in 1874
  • Ellen Pay, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Howrah" in 1874
  • Harry Pay, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Howrah" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Pay (post 1700) +

  • Byron E. Pay, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Dakota Territory Territory, 1884 3

HMS Hood
  • Mr. James L Pay (b. 1914), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Croft, Hartlepool, County Durham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 4


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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