Pace is a
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
in both
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
. In addition to being found in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, it is also found in Germany, is common in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, and can be found among Italian and British
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and other countries.
Families called Pace have been prominent in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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and held feudal estates in both of these areas.
The pronunciation varies according to a family's origins and linguistic heritage, but the most commonly used are the English "Pace", rhyming with "race", the Italian "PAH-chay", and the Maltese "PAH-ch".
Origin
There are at least two independent origins of the
name
A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A personal ...
Pace, one in Italy and the other in England, but in both cases it is believed to be of
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
origins. Most people called Pace in Malta have an origin in speakers of Italian, while most Paces in Germany are probably connected with someone of the name who originated in England.
In England the spelling of the name has many variant spellings, including Peace, Paice, Pase, Payce, and others. The surname dates back to the early 13th century and early examples of the recordings include Roger Pays in the 1275 Hundred Rolls of
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
, William Pace in 1242 in the Book of Fees for
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
, and Peter Pece of
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
in 1302. Examples from
parish register
A parish register in an ecclesiastical parish is a handwritten volume, normally kept in the parish church in which certain details of religious ceremonies marking major events such as baptisms (together with the dates and names of the parents), ma ...
s include the marriage of Alice Pace to Thomas Picket in 1539 at St. Michael Bassishaw, and Alyse Paice who married John Garrot on August 16, 1573 at the church of St. Lawrence Pountney, both in the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
. As a name in England, Pace has at least two possible origins. The first is from an early medieval nickname for a mild-mannered and even-tempered man, derived from the Anglo-Norman-French and Middle English word "pace" or "pece", ultimately from the Latin "pax" or "pacis", meaning "peace". The second possible origin is from the result of confusion with the personal name "Pash" or "Pask(e)", used frequently in medieval England as both a Christian name and as a nickname for a person born at Easter, or one having some other connection with that festival, such as a feudal obligation to provide a service, or make a payment, on that date.
[
It has also been argued that Pace is an unusual surname of French origins, and the first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Pais, which was dated 1219, in the "Register of the Freemen of Leicester", during the reign of King Henry III, known as "The Frenchman", 1216–1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to change creating variants of the original spelling.][Pace]
at surnamedb.com
Italy
The Italian surnames shares the same Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...
, the word for peace, ''pax''. Specifically, "pace" is the ablative
In grammar, the ablative case (pronounced ; sometimes abbreviated ) is a grammatical case for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in the grammars of various languages; it is sometimes used to express motion away from something, among other uses. T ...
declension of "pax" in Latin, which in Classical Latin was probably pronounced "PAH-kay". The word sees popular usage in Ecclesiastical Latin, which today as in the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
pronounces it in the Italian manner. "Pace" remains the word for "peace" in Modern Italian.
The Italian Pace is believed to be a patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
, meaning that those with the surname are the descendants of a man with a first name
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
of Pace (from Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''Pax, Pacis''). Early bearers of this surname might have been bestowed with it because of their calm or reputation as peacemakers
Peacemakers was an American pacifist organization founded following a conference on "More Disciplined and Revolutionary Pacifist Activity" in Chicago in July 1948. Ernest and Marion Bromley and Juanita and Wally Nelson largely organized the grou ...
, or to those who spread peace in a religious
Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...
sense. The first references to the surname Pace occur in the 6th and 7th centuries in the forms of ''Pace'', ''Pacius'', ''Pacinus'', and ''Pax''.
An Italian line of Pace was ennobled in the Holy Roman Empire as Pace von Friedensberg
The Pace von Friedensberg is an Austrian noble family of Spanish and Italian origin. The family held the titles of Imperial Count within the Holy Roman Empire.
History
The Pace family originated from Spain and were elevated to the nobility i ...
in the seventeenth century.
Today the surname Pac
is concentrated
in various regions of Italy
The regions of Italy ( it, regioni d'Italia) are the first-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, constituting its second NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, five of which have higher autonomy than the rest. U ...
and is found all over Italy, especially in northern Piemonte
it, Piemontese
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and Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, in central Latium
Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire.
Definition
Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whi ...
and Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
, and in southern Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
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, Calabria
, population_note =
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, Apulia
it, Pugliese
, population_note =
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, demographic ...
, and Basilicata
it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman)
, population_note =
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. In certain places like Pratola Peligna
Pratola Peligna ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of 2015, it has a population of 7,652 inhabitants.
Geography
Pratola Peligna is bordered by Popoli, Corfinio, Prezza, Rai ...
in L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
, Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
, virtually everyone has a relative
Relative may refer to:
General use
*Kinship and family, the principle binding the most basic social units society. If two people are connected by circumstances of birth, they are said to be ''relatives''
Philosophy
*Relativism, the concept that ...
with the surname Pace and it can take up pages in the phonebook
A telephone directory, commonly called a telephone book, telephone address book, phonebook, or the white and yellow pages, is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that ...
.
The Maltese line of the name comes thanks to the strong Italian influence on that nation. Especially important was the period after October 5, 1350, when Malta was incorporated directly under the Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...
, expanding the number of greatly in Malta. In Malta, the surname is sometimes pronounced as in Italian but other times an abridged form, "PAH-ch", is used.
England
The ''Dictionary of English Surnames'' gives the origin of the English surname "Pace" as ME ''pais'', OFr ''pais'', Lat ''pax'', "peace, concord, amity", and adds: "As ME ''pasches'' appears also as ''paisch, piece, peace,'' and Easter eggs are still called ''Pace'' eggs." The area of greatest concentration is Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...
.
The surname "Pacey", may derive from the French village of Pacy sur Eure (again probably from Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''Pax, pacis''). It is profiled separately from the surname "Pace", and is ranked 3578 for frequency. Newbold Pacey
Newbold Pacey is a village and civil parish south of Warwick, in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Ashorne and the parish council is called "Newbold Pacey & Ashorne Parish Council". In 2 ...
, a village in Warwickshire, existed as Newbold at the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
and according to the Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of En ...
later "took its name from "the family of Pascy, or Pacey".
The two surnames have historically been sometimes confused. The surname of Richard Pace
Richard Pace (c. 148228 June 1536) was an English clergyman and diplomat of the Tudor period.
Life
He was born in Hampshire and educated at Winchester College under Thomas Langton. He attended the universities of Padua and Oxford. In 1509, ...
, the 16th-century churchman, is today pronounced as "Pace", but his biographer Jervis Wegg states that his surname at the time was spoken as two syllables.[Wegg, ''Richard Pace: A Tudor Diplomatist'', Methuen, 1932, p1]
Notable people
Argentina
* Nicolas Andres Pace (born 1985), Argentinian Libre Router and Community Networks Coordinator
Brazil
*José Carlos Pace
José Carlos Pace (October 6, 1944 – March 18, 1977) was a racing driver from Brazil. He participated in 73 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting at the 1972 South African Grand Prix. He won one race, achieved six podiums, an ...
(1944–1977), Brazilian Formula One racing driver
Canada
* Kate Pace (born 1969), Canadian Olympic and World Champion alpine skier
Italy
*Camillo Pace Camillo Pace (Paglieta, 16 May 1862 - Pescara, 1948) was an Italian Protestant pastor known for his work of evangelism and also for having made known, since 1930, the existence in Germany of a Protestant anti-Nazi resistance.
Biography
In 1879, C ...
(1862–1948), Italian Protestant pastor and evangelist who supported the German Protestant anti-Nazi movement in the 1930s
*Giulio Pace
Giulio Pace de Beriga, also known as Giulio Pacio, or by his Latin name Julius Pacius of Beriga (9 April 1550 – 1635) was a well-known Italian Aristotelian scholar and jurist.
Life
He was born in Vicenza, Italy, and studied law and philosoph ...
(1550–1635), Italian Aristotelian scholar and jurist
* Joseph Pace (born 1959), Italian painter and sculptor
* Tommaso Pace, Italian diplomat and writer, born in San Costantino Albanese
San Costantino Albanese ( aae, Shën Kostandinit i Arbëreshëvet) is an Arbëreshë town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Geography
San Costantino Albanese sits on a hilltop overlooking ...
and active in the 19th century
*The Pace family of Udine
Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
were ennobled in 1658, receiving the title of count
Malta
* Saverius Pace (17th century), minor Maltese philosopher who specialised in physics.
*Carmelo Pace
Maestro Chev. Carmelo Pace (August 17, 1906 – May 20, 1993) was a Maltese composer, and a professor of music theory and harmony. Born in Valletta, Malta on August 17, 1906, Pace was the eldest of three children. His parents were Anthony Pac ...
(1906–1993), Maltese composer and professor of music theory and harmony
*Claudette Pace
Claudette Buttigieg (née Pace, 8 February 1968) is a Maltese member of parliament, Deputy Speaker, and former TV presenter and singer.
Personal life and Eurovision Song Contest
Born in Naxxar, she won the Malta Song For Europe festival in January ...
(born 1968), Maltese member of parliament and singer
*Jamie Pace
Jamie Pace MacDonald (born 1 January 1977) is a retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in England, he represented the Malta national team at international level.
Club career
Pace joined Marsaxlokk in 2005 from Valletta ...
(born 1977), English-born Maltese international footballer
* Laurie Pace (born 1966), Maltese judo player who represented her country at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics
*Michela Pace
Michela Pace (born 25 January 2001) is a Maltese singer who won the inaugural season of Malta's version of ''The X Factor'' in 2019. As a prize for her win, she represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Chameleon" wri ...
(born 2001), Maltese singer who represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
South Africa
* Carle Pace (1918–2008), South African cyclist, track sprinter and endurance athlete
United Kingdom
* Derek Pace (1932–1989), English professional footballer
*George Pace
George Gaze Pace, (31 December 1915 – 23 August 1975) was an English architect who specialised in ecclesiastical works.
He was trained in London, and served in the army, before being appointed as surveyor to a number of cathedrals. Mo ...
(1915–1975), English architect who specialised in ecclesiastical works
*Ian Pace
Ian Geoffrey Pace (born 1968) is a British pianist. Pace studied at Chetham's School of Music, The Queen's College, Oxford and the Juilliard School in New York City, New York. His main teacher was the Hungarian pianist György Sándor.
Repertoi ...
(born 1968), English classical pianist
* John Pace (), English jester to Henry VIII, to the Duke of Norfolk, and at the court of Elizabeth I
*Norman Pace
Norman John Pace (born 17 February 1953 in Dudley, Worcestershire) is an English actor and comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Hale and Pace with his friend and comic partner Gareth Hale. Both former teachers, they fronted seve ...
(born 1953), English actor and comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Hale and Pace
* Richard Pace (disambiguation), multiple people
United States
*Andrew K. Pace
Andrew K. Pace is an American librarian and author. He has served as executive director of the Association of Research Libraries since February 2024. Previously he served as executive director of the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Ins ...
(born 1969), Librarian and author
*Anne Marie Pace
Anne Marie Pace is an American author, known for her ''Vampirina Ballerina'' books. She attended the College of William & Mary, where she graduated in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in English. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Pace wrote for c ...
(born 1965), American author
*Calvin Pace
Calvin Lamar Pace (born October 28, 1980) is a former American football outside linebacker of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round (18th overall) in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football ...
(born 1980), American football player
* Charles Henry Pace (1886–1963), American composer and publisher (both as sheet music and as recordings) of Christian songs
*Darrell Pace
Darrell Owen Pace (born October 23, 1956) is a former archer from the United States, who won two individual Olympic and World Championships titles each during his career. In 2011, as part of the World Archery Federation's 80th anniversary celebr ...
(born 1956), American archer who won individual titles at the World Championships and at the Summer Olympics
* Dinah Watts Pace (1853–1933), African-American educator
*Frank Pace
Frank Pace Jr. (July 5, 1912January 8, 1988) was the 3rd United States Secretary of the Army and a business executive.
Biography
Pace was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and attended The Hill School, Pottstown, Pennsylvania. In 1933 he graduated ...
, Jr. (1912–1988), American businessman and Secretary of the Army
*Harry Pace
Harry Herbert Pace (January 6, 1884 – July 19, 1943) was an American music publisher and insurance executive. He was the founder of Black Swan Records, the first record label owned by an African American with wide distribution capabilities. ...
(Harry Herbert Pace, 1884–1943), African-American music publisher and insurance executive, and founder of Black Swan Records
* Homer Pace (1879–1942), American business educator and innovator in the field of accountancy who, jointly with his brother Charles Ashford Pace, founded Pace University in New York state
*Jim Pace
James Edward Pace (January 1, 1936 – March 4, 1983) was an American running back in the National Football League. He was also an All-American halfback who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines teams from 1955 to 1957.
Youth
Alt ...
(1936–1983), American player of American football
*Jim Pace (racing driver)
Jim Pace (February 1, 1961 – November 13, 2020) was an American racing driver.
Racing career
He began his career in the Barber Saab Pro Series in 1988. He soon moved to sports car racing and won the GTU class at the 1990 24 Hours of Daytona. P ...
(1961–2020), American racing driver
*LaShun Pace
Tarrian LaShun Pace (September 6, 1961 – March 21, 2022), professionally known as LaShun Pace and sometimes credited as LaShun Pace-Rhodes or Shun Pace-Rhodes, was an American Grammy Award–nominated gospel singer–songwriter and evangelist. ...
(1961-2022), Amerucan gospel singrer and songwriter
*Lee Pace
Lee Grinner Pace (born March 25, 1979) is an American actor. He is known for starring as Thranduil the Elvenking in ''The Hobbit'' trilogy and as Joe MacMillan in the AMC period drama television series '' Halt and Catch Fire''. He has also a ...
(born 1979), American actor
* Lula Pace (1868–1925), American botanist
* Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace (born 1964), American serial killer
*Norman R. Pace
Norman Richard Pace Jr. (born 1942) is an American biochemist, and is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado. He is principal investigator at the Pace lab.
Early life and ...
(born 1942), American biochemist
*Orlando Pace
Orlando Lamar Pace (born November 4, 1975) is a former American football tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. Pace played college football at Ohio State, where he twice receiv ...
(born 1975), American football player
*Peter Pace
Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman and the first Marine officer to be appointed ...
(born 1945), U.S. Marine Corps general who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Phillip Eric Pace (born 1956), Distinguished professor (emeritus) electrical and computer engineering dept., U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, musician, author, AOC and IEEE Life Fellow
* Teresa Pace, America engineer
* Wayne Pace (born 1946 or 1947), former chief financial officer and executive vice president of Time Warner Inc.
In fiction
*Charlie Pace
Charlie Pace is a fictional character on ABC's ''Lost'', a television series chronicling the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island. Played by Dominic Monaghan, Charlie was a regular character in the first three seasons, a ...
, a primary character in the ABC TV series ''Lost''
* James Tayper Pace, a character in The Bell (novel)
''The Bell'' is a novel by Iris Murdoch. Published in 1958, it was her fourth novel. It is set in a lay religious community situated next to an enclosed community of Benedictine nuns in Gloucestershire.
Plot
The setting is Imber Court, a ...
of 1958 by Iris Murdoch
References
{{Reflist
Surnames
Maltese-language surnames