Show ContentsPayson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Payson family

The surname Payson was first found in Yorkshire. The township of Shawdon in Northumberland was home to an early branch of the family. "The township is intersected by the road from Morpeth to Wooler, and comprises about 1200 acres of land, mostly arable, the property of William Pawson, Esq., whose mansion here is surrounded with excellent wood." 1

Early History of the Payson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Payson research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1614 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Payson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Payson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pawson, Payson and others.

Early Notables of the Payson family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Edward Payson (1614-1675) originated in Nazing, Essex, led much of the family to America first settling in the Massachusetts Bay Colony...

Payson Ranking

In the United States, the name Payson is the 13,439th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


Payson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Payson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Giles Payson, aged 26, who landed in America in 1635, aboard the ship "Hopewell" 3
  • Edward Payson, from Essex, who arrived New England on the Hopewell in 1635, bound for Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1637 3
  • Edward Payson (1614-1675), a Puritan and "freeman" from Nazing, Essex who landed in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1640 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Payson (post 1700) +

  • Virginia Kraft Payson (1930-2023), American thoroughbred owner and breeder, big-game hunter, and journalist who wrote for Sports Illustrated under the name of Virginia Kraft for 26 years
  • William Farquhar Payson (1876-1939), American author
  • Harold "Dynamite" Payson (1928-2011), American boat builder and designer
  • Reverend Samuel Phillips Payson (1736-1801), American Harvard graduate who ministered for the town of Chelsea, Massachusetts from 1757
  • Charles Payson (d. 1913), American diplomat, Third Assistant Secretary of State (1878-1881), United States Ambassador to Denmark (1881-1882)
  • Blanche Payson (1881-1964), born Mary Elizabeth Bush, an American film actress who appeared in many The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy movies because of her height: 6 foot 2 inches
  • Joan Whitney Payson (1903-1975), born Joan Whitney, American heiress, businesswoman, philanthropist and patron of the arts
  • Lewis Edwin Payson (1840-1909), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois, 1881-91 4
  • George P. Payson, American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to New York convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933; Law Preservation Candidate for New York State Assembly from Westchester County 2nd District, 1934 4
  • Franklin C. Payson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maine, 1900 4
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Payson 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: Favente Deo
Motto Translation: I will defend my God.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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