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Etymology of Page

What does the name Page mean?

The name Page comes from one of the family having worked as a server or personal attendant to a Lord or nobleman. 1 Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries. Occupational names have remained fairly common in the modern period. This is attested to by the continuing appearance of occupational suffixes at the end of many English surnames. Some of these suffixes include: herd, monger, maker, hewer, smith, and wright.

Early Origins of the Page family

The surname Page was first found in Devon where one of the first records of the name was Ralph Page who was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1230. A few years later William le Page was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240. 2 Lambert Page was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Yorkshire. 3 And a few years late to the north, John Page was one of the Scottish prisoners taken in Dunbar Castle in 1296 and confined in Tunbridge Castle. 4 At some point, a branch of the family was established at Steeple Aston in Oxfordshire. " In a chapel on the north side of the chancel are recumbent effigies of Sir Francis Page and his lady, to whom the manor of Middle Aston formerly belonged: Sir Francis destroyed some monuments of the Dinham family to make room for his own, which was erected in his life-time." 5

Early History of the Page family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Page research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1628, 1669, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1708, 1720, 1723, 1775 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Page History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Page Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Page have been found, including: Page, Paige and others.

Early Notables of the Page family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Sir Thomas Page of Somerset
  • Gregory Page (died 1693)

Page World Ranking

In the United States, the name Page is the 318th most popular surname with an estimated 84,558 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Page is ranked the 307th most popular surname with an estimated 14,345 people with that name. 7 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Page is the 290th popular surname. 8 France ranks Page as 796th with 6,309 people. 9 Australia ranks Page as 205th with 16,144 people. 10 New Zealand ranks Page as 218th with 2,614 people. 11 The United Kingdom ranks Page as 165th with 32,623 people. 12

Migration of the Page family to Ireland

Some of the Page family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Page migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Page, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Page Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Page of Essex who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet
  • Mrs. Phoebe Paine Page of Essex who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 13
  • Mr. John Page, Jr. of Essex who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 13
  • Mr. Daniel Page of Essex who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 13
  • Mr. Thomas Page, aged 29, from London, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase", bound for Maine 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Page Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Matthew Page, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 15
  • Francis Page, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 15
  • Elinor Page, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 15
  • Catherine Page, who landed in Virginia in 1704 15
  • Anthony Page, who landed in Virginia in 1714 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Page Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Richard Page, aged 54, who landed in New York in 1812 15
  • Joseph Page, aged 51, who arrived in New York in 1812 15
  • Job Page, aged 36, who arrived in New York in 1812 15
  • Joel Page, aged 37, who landed in New York in 1812 15
  • George Page, aged 19, who landed in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Page migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Page Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Robert Page, son of Raymond and Madeleine, who married Marguerite Gaudin, daughter of Barthélemi and Marthe, in Quebec on 8th January 1668 16
  • Raymond Page, son of Raymond and Madeleine, who married Marguerite Gaudin, daughter of Barthélemi and Marthe, in Quebec on 8th January 1668 16
  • Guillaume Page, son of Raymond and Madeleine, who married Elisabeth Letartre, daughter of René and Anne, in L'Ange-Gardien, Quebec on 30th January 1679 16
Page Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Martin Page, son of Robert and Marguerite, who married Françoise Gaudin, daughter of Charles and Marie, in L'Ange-Gardien, Quebec on 17th November 1704 16
  • Pierre Page, son of Robert and Marguerite, who married Marie-Catherine Morisset, daughter of Mathurin and Élisabeth, in Cap-Santé, Quebec on 19th June 1713 16
  • Pierre Page, son of Robert and Marguerite, who married Marie-Catherine Morisset, daughter of Mathurin and Elisabeth, in Cap-Santé, Quebec on 19th June 1713 16
  • Jean-François Page, son of Robert and Marguerite, who married Marie-Anne Cocquin, daughter of Pierre and Catherine, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec on 25th June 1714 16
  • Louis Page, son of Guillaume and Isabelle, who married Isabelle Piché, daughter of Adrien and Elisabeth, in Cap-Santé, Quebec on 20th January 1716 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Page Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Stephen Page, who landed in Canada in 1833
  • Alexander Page, who arrived in Canada in 1834
  • Timothy Terrard Page, who landed in Canada in 1841

Page migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Page Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Page, British convict who was convicted in Derby, England for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
  • Miss Mary Page, (b. 1780), aged 23, British Convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1829 18
  • Miss Mary Page, (b. 1780), aged 24, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 2nd January 1804, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1829 19
  • Mr. William Page, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 20
  • Mr. James Page, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 21
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Page migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Page Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Page, aged 38, a bricklayer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Sarah Page, aged 35, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Mary Page, aged 12, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Joseph Page, aged 5, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • William Page, aged 2, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Page migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 22
Page Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Mathew Page, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 23
  • Mr. Thomas Page, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler travelling from Gravesend, England aboard the ship "Falcon" arriving in Barbados in 1636 24
  • Richard and Henry Page, who settled in Barbados in 1663
  • Elizabeth Page settled with her husband Edward in Barbados in 1670

Contemporary Notables of the name Page (post 1700) +

  • Ken Page (1954-2024), American actor and cabaret singer
  • Anita Page (1910-2008), born Anita Evelyn Pomares, American film actress
  • Susanne Page (1938-2024), American photographer, best known for her photographs of Native Americans of the American southwest
  • John G. "Jack" Page III (1950-2020), American politician, Member of the Alabama House of Representatives (1993-2010)
  • Thomas Alden "Tommy" Page (1970-2017), American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1990 hit single, "I'll Be Your Everything"
  • Brigadier-General John Watt Page (1882-1961), American Adjutant-General of Texas (1940-1943) 25
  • Patti Page (1927-2013), born Clara Ann Fowler, American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music and the best-selling female artist of the 1950s
  • Tim Page (b. 1954), American writer, editor, music critic, producer and professor awarded the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism
  • Clarence Page (b. 1947), American reporter who won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
  • Robert Morris Page (1903-1992), American physicist with the U.S. Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC
  • ... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Miss Clarrie May Page (d. 1914), British Stewardess from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 26
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Victor E F Page (b. 1912), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Southampton, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
  • Mr. Edwin H G Le Page (b. 1910), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Guernsey, Channel Island, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. John Birley Page, British Gunner, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 28
  • Mr. Walter Richard Douglas Page, British Sub Lieutenant, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 28
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Andrew Page, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 29
  • Mr. John Harvey Page, American 1st Class Passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 29
Vimy Ridge
  • Ernest Page (1880-1917), Canadian labourer, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge May 1917
  • Robert Turlington Noble Page (1889-1916), Canadian bank clerk, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge October 1916
  • Joseph Henri Pagé (1878-1917), Canadian beurier "butter maker", Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge May 1917


Suggested Readings for the name Page +

  • The History and Genealogy of the Robert and Rachel Page Family, c1750-1827 from Goochland County, Virginia, and Spartanburg County, South Carolina by Donald W. Pa.
  • Carolina Page's: (sic) a Compilation of Genealogical Information on Page Families in the Carolinas Beginning in 1521 to Present Time by Robert E. Page.

  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  8. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  9. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  10. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  11. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  12. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  13. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  14. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  15. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  16. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  19. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  20. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  21. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  23. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  24. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  25. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) John Page. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Page/John_Watt/USA.html
  26. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  27. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  28. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  29. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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