PAGETT
The surname Pagett is of English origin, deriving from the medieval personal name Page, which itself is an occupational designation for a young servant or attendant in a noble household. The term Page has Old French roots, ultimately sourced from the Greek paidion meaning boy or child. The diminutive suffix -ett was added in Middle English, producing Pagett which literally means “little page”, signalling either a younger servant or one who performed duties with the humility associated with a page.
The name first appeared in the English language as Page in 1230, when Ralph Page is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Devonshire. The earliest instance of the spelling Pagett is found in 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, where a William Paget is listed. Other early variants include Paget, Padgett, and Pag(g)itt; the intrusive -d- in Padgett reflects dialectal influences common in the East of England. John Paget is documented in 1359 in the Court Rolls of Colchester, and a Jone Padgett is christened at St. Botolph’s, Bishopsgate, London, on 10 December 1569.
During the Tudor period a William Paget (1506–1563) rose to prominence after acquiring estates from Henry VIII on the dissolution of the monasteries. He later held the title Earl of Uxbridge from 1714. The family’s heraldic achievement is most commonly described as a black shield crowned with a silver cross engrailed, with a silver escallop in the dexter quarter. This arms has been associated with the Paget family for several centuries.
From the 17th century onward, the Pagett surname was fairly widespread in England, especially in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, as well as in several Welsh counties. Census records from 1881 show a concentration of Pagett families in these areas. The name has also been found in Scotland, often under the same spelling. A sizeable diaspora developed in the later centuries, with Pagett families emigrating to Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere within the British Commonwealth.
While the surname Paget is closely related and often conflated with Pagett, the two spellings are generally regarded as distinct, each with its own genealogical records. Nonetheless, the variations Paget, Padgett, Pagett, Pag(g)itt, Pagette and others are frequently encountered in parish registers, legal documents and land deeds. The name is occasionally confused with unrelated surnames such as Payge, Pagan or Pegg, which originate from different linguistic sources.
In contemporary usage the Pagett surname remains relatively uncommon but is still present in the United Kingdom and across the globe. Its etymological origins remain well documented in historical sources, and modern bearers of the name can trace their ancestry back to medieval English households where the role of the page was a vital part of courtly life.
Typical given names associated with the Pagett surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
Female
- Ann
- Catherine
- Diane
- Dorothy
- Fiona
- Gillian
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Sandra
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Pagett in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,462 people named Pagett in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,451st most common surname in Britain. Around 22 in a million people in Britain are named Pagett.
Surname type: Diminutive
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Pagett
- Nicola Pagett - Stage and film actress
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.