Paugh
A surname often treated as a shortened or altered form of a Germanic name, though its exact origin is not firmly settled.
The #9,017 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 85,148 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical evidence here is thin and partly indirect. One 19th-century source places Paugh among a set of unusually shaped or comic-looking surnames, but does not explain its derivation. In practice, Paugh is often treated as an altered spelling of a Germanic name such as Poch, Bauch, or a similar form, though the exact line of descent is not certain from the excerpts alone.
History
The name appears in American records, and the cited 19th-century discussion shows it already established in the United States by that time. Later references group it with other Pennsylvania/German-American surnames, which fits a probable immigrant or anglicized-background surname. Because the sources do not give a firm etymology, its deeper history remains uncertain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century writer grouped Fore-Paugh among playful or unusual surnames, showing that the name was noticeable enough to become part of a wordplay list.
From the historical record
“FiNGER, ^Ir. ViNGER (" finger " 1) ; Messrs. Thdm, Thumm ; Mr. Forehand, and eleven families of Fore- PAUGH ; * Mr. Elbow, jVIr. Xees, and nineteen families of Shinn ; seven families of Bumm ; Messrs. Side and Sides ; Mr. Brow, Mr. Eargood, Mr. Eayre, Mr. Ey, Mr. Godlip, Messrs. Lipp, Lippe, Lipps, and Lips ; Mr.…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)