Surname Mayi and Payano

[SuperConejo]

These two surnames exist in my family lines and i have NO idea of their origins, they sound non-spanish. I can't find pretty much any information on them, except they seem to be very common in d.r , when i do a google image search i get plenty of Dominicans. For Mayi though i get a variety of people, including east indians and east africans but it seems to be more common in d.r. Anyone have any ideas of the origins? Or perhaps what language group it belongs to.


Thanks, much apriciated.

 

[SuperConejo]

Update

I am replying to my own post to update anyone with any of these rare last names. As of right now i haven't found much about Payano, oen thing for sure, it doenst seem to be of spanish origin.

Mayi, i have found some preliminary but not direct information on it.

1. According to oral history of my fathers cousins who have that surname, they say it came from Haiti.

2. I looked up Mayi in Haiti and it resulted in two common words. Mayi which can mean Corn, or Mayi which can mean a Vodou(Vudu) dance brought to Haiti by the Mahi people of Benin and Togo during the times of slavery. Pronounciation wise my father says (Malli), now i dont know how it is pronounced in Haiti, if someone can help me with that it'd be great, although pronounciations when they cross the border change often, for example... from Rara to Gaga.

3. In Summary it seems to be an African surname/name of the Mahi ethnic group brought to Haiti, or it can mean Corn which is harder to explain. = )

The Mayi surname seems to be even rarer than the payano one, if anyone has any of these surnames it would be nice if you posted in this thread regarding any family history of the names.

One more thing... I looked up both surnames in the white pages, and funny enough they were extremely rare, Payano resulted in 162 results out of 6 and something million people. And Mayi resulted in 39! The Funny part was that the results were all in states were Dominicans reside in sizeable numbers. New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

 

[AZB]

One thing I know about payano is that they are not good at paying child support.
AZB

 

[Chip]

Here's a good geneologic source as old books are constantly being scanned and entered. I found some good information about my ancestors that wasn't available at the mainstream geneology sources.

Google Book Search

 

[SuperConejo]

chip thanks for the link. I never thought of google books as having that type of info. The comment by AZB is funny, hopefully that person is not one of my cousins. LOL. I will be looking for the surnames in those books, or hoepfully find a good source in d.r about their origins. The hardest one to find of course is Mayi because it doesnt even sound like its derived from a romance language. Payano sounds vaguely romance-language like, although so far it doesnt seem to be spanish. = ) Hopefully i can find out their origins, and WHEN they came to d.r, and if they were given (in the case of a slave master) or inherited (lineage)

 

[Chip]

chip thanks for the link. I never thought of google books as having that type of info. The comment by AZB is funny, hopefully that person is not one of my cousins. LOL. I will be looking for the surnames in those books, or hoepfully find a good source in d.r about their origins. The hardest one to find of course is Mayi because it doesnt even sound like its derived from a romance language. Payano sounds vaguely romance-language like, although so far it doesnt seem to be spanish. = ) Hopefully i can find out their origins, and WHEN they came to d.r, and if they were given (in the case of a slave master) or inherited (lineage)

From a brief web search Payano seems to be hispanic in orgien based on the fact that a lot of the hits were in Spanish and the first names of the people with this surname were hispanic as well.

The problem with the surname Mayi is that it is so short it would be plausible that this would be found in many different cultures and a brief web search seems to support it. However, being that your ancestor are African in origen, I would check the links associated with the Mayi people of Africa.

good luck.

 

[SuperConejo]

It still doesn't seem to be hispanic in origen, but yes, there are spanish speakers with teh surname. Most tend to concentrate in d.r, and there seem to be one or two in peru. Its tricky with names, becuase not only do you need to find the meaning, but also if that meaning connects with your history. For example Payano has come up with two things so far, it seems to be possibly an italian word, and also its the name of an indegenous tribe(ethnic group) in Chile. LOL, two worlds apart.. Moreover, if different spanish speakers have this surname, it doesnt suggest it is of spanish origin, for example at one time in d.r there were people with the surname Congo, and Mondongo, and these same surnames existed in P.R, Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, one would think that its of hispanic origin but the names tell their own stories.

Yes mayi was also found in east indian according to my recent post, but east indians are almost non-existant in the country, and moreover the peopel in my family with that surname have no east indian traits, the oral history from the cousins that its a haitain last names made it much easier for me to find, payano will be a fun find. By the way what are your surnames that you found info on chip? This is all interesting stuff to me, on my mothers fathers --> fathers side we have a surname bonavide which is catalan, that might be the 3rd rarest surname i have, but it was very easy to trace.

 

[bradpitt]

Here's a good geneologic source as old books are constantly being scanned and entered. I found some good information about my ancestors that wasn't available at the mainstream geneology sources.

Google Book Search

Cool, I'm going to check that out.
Thanks,
Scott

 

[SuperConejo]

One more thing to add, its interesting that some of the surnames are names of towns, and even lomas(hills) in D.R. For example Payano turned out to be a town at the very EDGE of perdenales, and also a hill in San Juan de la maguana (Loma Payano). And Mayi turned out to be a town or place in Barahona.

 

[Chip]

It still doesn't seem to be hispanic in origen, but yes, there are spanish speakers with teh surname. Most tend to concentrate in d.r, and there seem to be one or two in peru. Its tricky with names, becuase not only do you need to find the meaning, but also if that meaning connects with your history. For example Payano has come up with two things so far, it seems to be possibly an italian word, and also its the name of an indegenous tribe(ethnic group) in Chile. LOL, two worlds apart.. Moreover, if different spanish speakers have this surname, it doesnt suggest it is of spanish origin, for example at one time in d.r there were people with the surname Congo, and Mondongo, and these same surnames existed in P.R, Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, one would think that its of hispanic origin but the names tell their own stories.

Yes mayi was also found in east indian according to my recent post, but east indians are almost non-existant in the country, and moreover the peopel in my family with that surname have no east indian traits, the oral history from the cousins that its a haitain last names made it much easier for me to find, payano will be a fun find. By the way what are your surnames that you found info on chip? This is all interesting stuff to me, on my mothers fathers --> fathers side we have a surname bonavide which is catalan, that might be the 3rd rarest surname i have, but it was very easy to trace.

Our family patriach was a Frenchman by the name of Alexander Bolchos, a (in)famous ship captain who appeared to have the dubious career of being a contract pirate (privateer) and a sometime slave trader. It stands a good chance that he originated out of Port de Paix in Sainte Domingue until the revolution where he either moved to the city of my origen, Charleston SC or Santo Domingo. As you know after the revoltion, many whites and mulattoes were massacred in what is now Haiti and many hundreds if not thousands made their way to Santo Domingo and the United States.

I say it appears he either moved to SC or SD because we are not certain where he died. I plan on some point going to the capital to research death records at the cathedral. He was also a wealthy man and probably had homes all over. He must have squandered it because my father's family was very poor, they moved something like 17 times when he was a child.

 

[SuperConejo]

Very interesting story, i am reading a book about the maroons in d.r, and i am up to that very same chapter about the white and mulatto's being masscared = ) I'll look out for your ancestor in my reading. Although some fled to D.R, the ones who did were very well hidden, as the Dominican governors of the time were actually on the side of the africans who rebelled in haiti, because they had this rivalry with the french, and since the begining of the colony they always looked for ways to **** off the french. It is very unique that he stayed in d.r, risking his life as many of the very same people who were killing frenchmen roamed d.r freely during the early 1800s. The bulk of french-men who owned slaves in Saint Domingue, or had alot of property ended up in... Cuba, Lousiana, and some in Puerto Rico. Its amazing how your last name has such a deep connection with the history of the island, you might have some gold named after you somewhere = ).

 

[margaret]

Looking at some of the records through Ancestry.com, I found some records for Mayi some born in Italy some in Hungary.

For Payano, there are several family trees under development in the Samana area... is that your work?

 

[Chip]

Very interesting story, i am reading a book about the maroons in d.r, and i am up to that very same chapter about the white and mulatto's being masscared = ) I'll look out for your ancestor in my reading. Although some fled to D.R, the ones who did were very well hidden, as the Dominican governors of the time were actually on the side of the africans who rebelled in haiti, because they had this rivalry with the french, and since the begining of the colony they always looked for ways to **** off the french. It is very unique that he stayed in d.r, risking his life as many of the very same people who were killing frenchmen roamed d.r freely during the early 1800s. The bulk of french-men who owned slaves in Saint Domingue, or had alot of property ended up in... Cuba, Lousiana, and some in Puerto Rico. Its amazing how your last name has such a deep connection with the history of the island, you might have some gold named after you somewhere = ).

From what I understand from Dominican history, from 1795 to 1808 Santo Domingo was actually a part of France and would therefore have been easy for French national to come over from Sainte Domingue to flee violence.

Also, there are many Dominicans today with French names. In fact a good example is a friend of mine from Bonao named "Napoleon Burdiel". He is also just about as white as I am.

As far as having gold named after me, sounds good, where do I find it?

 

[isabelle13]

Ok maybe I am well off but Saint-Domingue is the French name of Santo Domingo in current history. Were they 2 differents town at some point in time?

 

[london777]

Ok maybe I am well off but Saint-Domingue is the French name of Santo Domingo in current history. Were they 2 differents town at some point in time?

It was also the French name for Ha?ti before independence, and in practice for some decades after that as France did not recognise the Republic of Ha?ti until much later.

 

[isabelle13]

Thanks londo, got it now.

 

[SuperConejo]

margaret interesting find, thats what made findin information on Mayi so hard, i even found the word in India, and as far as China being a surname. I think i'm the warmest with it being of the african ethnic group brought to haiti, when u match it with my families oral history, but hey theres always surprises.

Can you link this family tree database of Payano's in samana? Funny thing is that i'm from San Francisco de macoris which is VERY close to samana. And having family in Samana would not be far fetched, its a few minutes away.

 

[SuperConejo]

From what I understand from Dominican history, from 1795 to 1808 Santo Domingo was actually a part of France and would therefore have been easy for French national to come over from Sainte Domingue to flee violence.

Also, there are many Dominicans today with French names. In fact a good example is a friend of mine from Bonao named "Napoleon Burdiel". He is also just about as white as I am.

As far as having gold named after me, sounds good, where do I find it?

Yes your right it was part of france, but at the same time, shortly after the french didnt feel very safe on any part of the island. U had not only Dessalines killing some french but also there were slave rebellions on the spanish side. I'm not doubting he came to the spanish controlled side, what i'm saying is that not many french men came because it wasn't the safest idea. Now if you look at Lousiana, and Guantamo cuba u find heaps of french who fled with their slaves.

 

[margaret]

I think this is the oldest entry for Payano.
Rafael (Piririto) Payano
Born: 1877
La Pascuala

Yes, someone appears to be entering many families on a tree entitled:
Familias de Samana y Sabana de la Mar, Republica Dominicana

I sent you a PM.

 

[Chip]

Yes your right it was part of france, but at the same time, shortly after the french didnt feel very safe on any part of the island. U had not only Dessalines killing some french but also there were slave rebellions on the spanish side. I'm not doubting he came to the spanish controlled side, what i'm saying is that not many french men came because it wasn't the safest idea. Now if you look at Lousiana, and Guantamo cuba u find heaps of french who fled with their slaves.

After Toussainte entered Santo Domingo in 1801 most of the Spanish civil officials left. I'm sure this fostered a more favorable environment for French immigrants from the west - remember French speaking officials were needed to adminster the gov't.

I don't want to deviate from the main topic, but I also did not find any reference to slave rebellions in Santo Domingo as you mentioned. Please check out my source free on the web:

Santo Domingo: A Country With A Future, Otto Schoenrich 1918