Explore the Family Name Payette
The meaning of Payette
Americanized form of French Payet: habitational name from Payet, the name of two places in Landes, or a diminutive of Paye. Altered ending reflects the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t. History: Most, if not all, of the American bearers of the surname Payette are descendants of Pierre Payet dit Saint-Amour, a soldier from Sainte-Florence in Gironde, France, who married Louise Tessier in Montreal, QC, in 1671. His descendants also bear the former secondary surname St. Amour and its altered forms. Some characteristic forenames: French Aldor, Pierre, Camille, Emile, Fernand, Gervais, Raoul.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Payette in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Payette has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In this decade, it dropped in rank from 19,248 to 20,852, marking an 8.33% decrease. The actual count of individuals with the Payette surname also saw a small reduction, from 1,303 in 2000 to 1,265 in 2010, which represents a change of -2.92%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also fell by 10.42%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,248 | #20,852 | -8.33% |
| Count | 1,303 | 1,265 | -2.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.48 | 0.43 | -10.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Payette
The data from the same Decennial U.S. Census showed some changes in the ethnic identity associated with the Payette surname over the decade from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of Payettes who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black increased by 19.57%, while those identifying as having two or more races increased by 11.21%. The largest ethnic group within this surname, White, experienced a slight increase in proportion, from 96.16% to 96.28%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Hispanic individuals with this surname declined by 26.92%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native population decreased by 12.96%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.16% | 96.28% | 0.12% |
| Two or More Races | 1.07% | 1.19% | 11.21% |
| Hispanic | 1.3% | 0.95% | -26.92% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.46% | 0.55% | 19.57% |
| Black | 0.46% | 0.55% | 19.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.47% | -12.96% |