PACE
Pace is a surname that finds its roots in both Italian and Latin heritage, yet it is also firmly established within the British Isles, particularly England. The name is often associated with the Latin noun pax, meaning peace, and it appears in medieval records under several spellings, including Peace, Paice, Pase and Payce.
In the English context the surname may arise from a given name or forename, as noted in surname compilations focused on the British Isles. It is recorded as a Christian surname within England and dates back to the early thirteenth century. The earliest documented instance is that of John Pais, registered as a Freeman of Leicester in 1219, under the reign of King Henry the First, a period sometimes referred to as the reign of the “Frenchman”.
The English and French variants of the surname followed from the Anglo-Norman and Middle‑English word pace or pece, again derived from pax, the Latin word for peace. This surname was commonly applied as a nickname for those who were mild‑mannered and even‑tempered. In some instances it was alleged that the name was bestowed on individuals who displayed the opposite characteristics, reflecting the medieval penchant for irony.
Alternatively, the surname can be traced to a confusion with the personal name Pash or Pask(e), which was used in medieval England both as a given name and a nickname. Those bearing the name were sometimes associated with the Easter festival, with the name implying a feudal obligation such as the provision of a service or goods on that date.
Early documentary evidence of the name includes Roger Pays in the 1275 Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, William Pace in the 1242 Book of Fees for Devonshire, and Peter Pece of Yorkshire in 1302. Subsequent records in ecclesiastical registers record a number of matrimonial alliances such as the marriage of Alice Pace to Thomas Picket in 1539 at St Michael Bassishaw, and that of Alyse Paice to John Garrot on 16 August 1573 at St Lawrence Pountney, both in London.
Thus, the surname Pace encapsulates a legacy of linguistic evolution from Latin through French influence into English usage, reflecting both cultural and historical layers that span centuries of record keeping in the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Pace surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- Darren
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Donna
- Elizabeth
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Paas
- Paasche
- Pac
- Paca
- Pacek
- Pacer
- Paces
- Pacey
- Paci
- Packe
- Paes
- Paese
- Paez
- Paice
- Pais
- Paise
- Paiz
- Paizes
- Pas
- Pasa
- Pasaoa
- Pasc
- Pasca
- Pasch
- Pasche
- Pasco
- Pascoe
- Pascu
- Pase
- Pasea
- Paseau
- Pasey
- Pasi
- Pasia
- Paske
- Paso
- Pass
- Passa
- Passau
- Passcoe
- Passe
- Passee
- Passes
- Passi
- Passo
- Pauce
- Paus
- Pause
- Pauza
- Paws
- Payce
- Pays
- Payse
- Payze
- Paz
- Paza
- Paze
- Pazi
- Pazio
- Pazo
- Pazzi
- Peace
- Peas
- Peasce
- Pease
- Peasse
- Pece
- Peci
- Peece
- Pees
- Peice
- Peouis
- Pes
- Pesa
- Pesce
- Pesci
- Pessa
- Pessi
- Pesso
- Pessoa
- Peus
- Peussa
- Pews
- Pez
- Peza
- Pezo
- Pezza
- Pezze
- Pezzi
- Pias
- Piasa
- Piaz
- Piazza
- Piazzi
- Pice
- Pici
- Pieace
- Piece
- Pies
- Piese
- Piess
- Piesse
- Pieza
- Pious
- Pisa
- Piso
- Pisu
- Pisz
- Pius
- Piz
- Piza
- Pizii
- Pizza
- Pizzi
- Pizzie
- Pizzo
- Poci
- Pohse
- Pois
- Poos
- Poosa
- Pooss
- Pos
- Posa
- Pose
- Poso
- Poss
- Possa
- Posse
- Possee
- Posso
- Posz
- Pous
- Pouso
- Poussa
- Pousse
- Pows
- Powys
- Poyce
- Poyse
- Poz
- Poza
- Pozi
- Pozo
- Pozza
- Pozze
- Pozzi
- Pozzie
- Pozzo
- Puce
- Puci
- Pucio
- Pues
- Puice
- Pusa
- Puse
- Pusie
- Puss
- Pusz
- Puz
- Puza
- Puzio
- Puzo
- Puzzi
- Puzzo
- Pyce
- Pyse
- Pysz
- Pyza
- Ypes
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Pace in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Pace are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Ginger Nut.
There are approximately 3,424 people named Pace in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,671st most common surname in Britain. Around 53 in a million people in Britain are named Pace.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Pace
- Lee Pace - American actor
- Norman Pace -
- Derek Pace - Football player (1932 to 1989)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.