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Payton Family History

Payton Name Meaning

English (mainly West Midlands): habitational name from Peyton in Ramsholt (Suffolk) derived from the Old English personal name Pǣga + Old English tūn ‘farmstead estate’. Irish (mainly County Donegal): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Peatáin ‘descendant of Peatán’ a pet form of the personal name Pádraig (see Patrick ). Outside County Donegal the name is apparently mainly of English origin (see 1 above).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Cayton, Parton, Layton, Paxton, Gayton, Panton, Dalton, Hayton, Paton

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Payton family from?

You can see how Payton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Payton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Payton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 23 Payton families living in Indiana. This was about 23% of all the recorded Payton's in USA. Indiana had the highest population of Payton families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Payton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Payton ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Payton. 25% of Payton men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Payton women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Payton were Farm Laborer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Payton | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    25%
  • Farmer
    19%
  • Truck Driver
    5%
  • Farm Laborer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Cook
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
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What Payton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 83,000 census records available for the last name Payton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Payton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Payton

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Payton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Payton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Payton. For the veterans among your Payton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Payton military records

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What is the average Payton lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Payton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Payton in 1942 was 50, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Payton

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