Explore the Family Name Payer
The meaning of Payer
1. French: variant of Paillé (see Paille). 2. German: variant of Bayer ‘Bavarian’. 3. Americanized or Germanized form of Czech, Slovak, and Slovenian Pajer, Hungarian Pájer ‘Bavarian’. 4. English: nickname from Middle English paier(e), paiour ‘one who pays (a tax or a debt)’ or perhaps with a different (unrecorded) sense ‘one who appeases or makes peace’. It is a derivative of Old French paiier, Middle English paien ‘to please, pay (a sum of money)’ and in Old French and Anglo-Norman French also ‘to appease, placate, make peace’. Compare Poyer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Payer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Payer has seen a minimal decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 27,439th in terms of popularity, which slightly dropped to 27,756th by 2010, thus marking a change of -1.16%. The count, however, increased from 827 to 866 people bearing the surname over the decade, signaling a 4.72% increase. Nonetheless, when expressed as a proportion per 100,000 individuals, the presence of the Payer surname declined by 6.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,439 | #27,756 | -1.16% |
| Count | 827 | 866 | 4.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.31 | 0.29 | -6.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Payer
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Payer, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of those carrying this surname identified as White (85.73% in 2000, decreasing slightly to 84.53% in 2010), a notable change is seen within other ethnic identities. The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native identity rose from 7.86% to 8.55%, an increase of 8.78%. Similarly, the proportion of individuals identifying as Hispanic saw a slight rise from 4.35% to 4.62%. Interestingly, representation among Asian/Pacific Islander Payers emerged from 0% in 2000 to 1.04% in 2010. Conversely, the percentage of Payers identifying under two or more races dropped from 1.45% to 0% within the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.73% | 84.53% | -1.4% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 7.86% | 8.55% | 8.78% |
| Hispanic | 4.35% | 4.62% | 6.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.04% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.45% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |