The Pais Family Name

Behind the Pais surname stands Paes, a Portuguese name that clerks and families wrote in more than one way. Taken at its root, Pais points to “Son of Paio”. Spelled with “i” instead of “e”, Pais shows how the same name was heard and written differently.

Spanish register data show 2,039 residents carrying Pais as first surname, and 1,939 as second surname. Between 1891 and 2000, 702 babies born in France were registered as Pais, with the most births in 1971–1980. Births ran at 5 in 1891–1900 and 150 in 1991–2000.

Arms linked to Paes and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to. For the full story, order the Pais surname pack.