This interesting name, with variant spellings Pawfoot, Payfoot, Paffot and Paffit, recorded in church registers of Sussex and London from the late 16th Century appears to have two distinct possible origins. The first is a curious nickname from the Medieval English "pa" (Anglo-Saxon "pawa") meaning a "peacock", plus "fot", a foot; hence, "pawefot" - a name presumably given to one who walked like a peacock. The second possibility is that the name is a diminutive of Paffe, a German form of Pope, chiefly found in the Rhine land.
The derivation is through the German "Pfaffe", a priest, from the late latin "papa", a bishop or pope - a name originally acquired by someone who played the part of the pope in a medieval pageant. On September 19th 1675, one, Sarah Payfoot was married in Oving, Sussex, and on April 11th 1697, Elizabeth Paffott an infant, was christened in Mid Lavant. Sarah Paffett and Richard Styles were married in St. Clement Danes, Westminster, London, on July 15th 1792, and on March 29th 1840 Victoria Paffett was christened in St. Mary Magdalene's, Hastings, Sussex. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ellinor Pawfoot, (christened), which was dated February 14th 1582, Sidlesham, Sussex, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Discovering the historical origins of Pawfoot is an incredibly exciting journey that takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who built this lineage. Like most surnames, the history of the surname Pawfoot is a thorny and surprising journey into the past in order to find out the origin of the surname Pawfoot, which leads us to have more knowledge about those who bear the surname Pawfoot, their origin, their coat of arms, the bibliography in which it appears... It is possible to trace their genealogy and, in addition to the original places of Pawfoot, we know where it is possible to find people with the surname Pawfoot today.
View complete list of Pawfoot in the world
The history of Pawfoot is an interesting sequence of events that were protagonized by the people who have held the surname Pawfoot throughout history, and it is possible to trace this history back to the first bearers of the surname Pawfoot. Their feats, their way of life, the places they lived, their family relationships, the jobs they held... All of this is crucial for anyone who, like you, is interested in having more information about the historical, heraldic, coat of arms, and nobility of the surname Pawfoot. In the following lines, you can find everything we have been able to compile about the surname Pawfoot. However, if you have more information that you would like to share, we would greatly appreciate your contribution to expand the knowledge of people who, like you, are looking to increase their knowledge about the surname Pawfoot.
Unfortunately, we do not have any more historical information about Pawfoot than the one we have provided with pleasure. We invite those who visit us on this website to analyze the recommended bibliography and to come back often, since we often receive valuable collaborations from other people interested in the origin and history of surnames that could have information of special interest about the surname Pawfoot, and that we would update on this website as soon as possible (after a previous verification). Similarly, if you consider yourself one of those people, we urge you to support us and send us the information about Pawfoot that is available to you, thanking you in advance for your detail.
There have probably been some significant Pawfoot throughout the history of humanity, even if, for some reason, not all of their contributions were included in the chronicles of the time or their data has not come down to the present day. Unfortunately, not all of the important contributions of people who have carried the surname Pawfoot were taken into account at the time by the chroniclers of the time. Although a surname has the ability to link a person to a famous lineage and a glorious coat of arms, it is individuals who, throughout their lives and by virtue of some outstanding or important achievements for the society in which they lived, give their surnames renown and it is possible to establish prominent lineages. For this reason, we want to highlight on this website those people with the surname Pawfoot who, for some reason, have left their mark on the course of history.
Based on all the research we have been able to gather so far, we can say that there is information available about the history, genealogy, and heraldry of the surname Pawfoot thanks to bibliographic sources. This means that we can discover more about its original meaning, origin, history, coat of arms, and heraldry. Our recommendation is to consult the following sources if you want to conduct research on the surname Pawfoot, as well as many other surnames:
These sources are essential for taking a step forward in the study of Pawfoot, and of surnames in general.