UK surname
An occupational name denoting a toll collector or tax receiver.
In the 1881 census there were 26 people recorded with the Payer surname, ranking it #29,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21, ranked #36,596, down from #29,911 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Kinver, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Payer is 418 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.2%.
1881 census count
26
Ranked #29,911
Modern count
21
2016, ranked #36,596
Peak year
1861
418 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Payer surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Payer surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 84 | #19,067 |
| 1861 | historical | 418 | #6,146 |
| 1881 | historical | 26 | #29,911 |
| 1891 | historical | 150 | #18,328 |
| 1901 | historical | 46 | #29,047 |
| 1911 | historical | 28 | #30,296 |
| 1997 | modern | 8 | #37,372 |
| 1998 | modern | 9 | #37,189 |
| 1999 | modern | 10 | #37,072 |
| 2000 | modern | 8 | #37,264 |
| 2001 | modern | 7 | #37,293 |
| 2002 | modern | 7 | #37,379 |
| 2003 | modern | 11 | #36,842 |
| 2004 | modern | 11 | #36,969 |
| 2005 | modern | 12 | #36,936 |
| 2006 | modern | 12 | #37,014 |
| 2007 | modern | 12 | #37,095 |
| 2008 | modern | 12 | #37,143 |
| 2009 | modern | 13 | #37,140 |
| 2010 | modern | 13 | #37,215 |
| 2011 | modern | 13 | #37,191 |
| 2012 | modern | 18 | #36,723 |
| 2013 | modern | 22 | #36,477 |
| 2014 | modern | 22 | #36,496 |
| 2015 | modern | 21 | #36,574 |
| 2016 | modern | 21 | #36,596 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Kinver, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Harrow-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinver | Staffordshire |
| 2 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 3 | St Leonard Shoreditch | London (East Districts) |
| 4 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 5 | Harrow-on-the-Hill | Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Payer surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Payer, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Payer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Payer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Payer is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Payer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Payer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Payer originated from the Old French word "paieur", which means "payer" or "paymaster". This surname was initially given to individuals who were responsible for collecting rent, taxes, or other payments. The earliest known records of the Payer surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy, France.
During the Middle Ages, the Payer surname was often associated with individuals who held administrative roles in the collection of payments or taxes. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jean Payer served as the paymaster for the Count of Anjou, a prominent French nobleman.
As the Payer surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Paieur, Payeur, and Payour. One of the earliest recorded instances of the Payer surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, an English census of landowners and their tenants, where a certain William Payer was listed as a landowner in Oxfordshire.
In the 14th century, the Payer surname appeared in the Pipe Rolls, which were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer. These rolls documented the payments made by landowners and taxpayers, and several individuals with the surname Payer were recorded as making such payments.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the Payer surname was Johannes Payer, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1481. He contributed significantly to the development of trigonometry and authored several works on astronomy and mathematics.
Another prominent individual with the Payer surname was Hans Payer, an Austrian explorer and cartographer born in 1836. He led expeditions to the Arctic regions and was responsible for mapping and charting several previously unexplored areas in the Arctic archipelago.
In the 19th century, a French artist named Jules Payer gained recognition for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in France. He was born in 1824 and his works are now part of various museum collections across Europe.
The Payer surname also has a notable presence in the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being John Payer, who arrived in Pennsylvania as an immigrant from Germany in the early 18th century.
Throughout history, the Payer surname has been associated with individuals involved in finance, administration, exploration, and the arts, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Payer surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Hertfordshire leads with 9 Payers recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.21x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hertfordshire | 9 | 58.21x |
| Kent | 7 | 9.14x |
| Middlesex | 3 | 1.34x |
| Sussex | 2 | 5.29x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 1.38x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 1.32x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hitchin in Hertfordshire leads with 9 Payers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1285.71x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hitchin | 9 | 1285.71x |
| Folkestone | 6 | 405.41x |
| Icklesham | 2 | 2857.14x |
| Islington London | 2 | 9.20x |
| Govan | 1 | 5.57x |
| Keele | 1 | 1250.00x |
| Otford | 1 | 909.09x |
| Westminster St James | 1 | 43.29x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Payer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Payer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Payer households.
FAQ
In 1881, 26 people were recorded with the Payer surname. That placed it at #29,911 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 21 in 2016. That gives Payer a modern rank of #36,596.
An occupational name denoting a toll collector or tax receiver.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Payer bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.