This noble name is centuries old; “Payne” was given to the English by the Normans in 1066 and was very popular in the Middle Ages, eventually dying out around the sixteenth century. Historically, you can not pin our ancestors to one place… they hale from Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain, France, Wales and predominantly, England. Originally, the Old English word meant villager or country dweller, and civilian (exempt from military service.) Heathen, (a derivative of the Latin pagan) causes discrepancy with the literal translation. It suggests that it is a name given to one who is not committed to the teachings of Christ or lives without having been baptized. This is an unreasonable theory, considering that someone would not likely adopt a family name which had unfavorable connotations. Furthermore, religious denouncement incited severe ramifications.