Find out how popular the last name Pasley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pasley.

Pasley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pasley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pasley in America

Pasley is the 9320th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pasley surname appeared 3,493 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pasley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pasley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pasley

The surname Pasley has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic phrase "preas lìth" or "preas lìdh," which translates to "smooth thicket" or "smooth meadow." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location or geographical feature.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Pasley can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of feudal homage rolls recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Paisley," suggesting a connection to the town of Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

In the 14th century, the name Pasley was associated with a prominent Scottish family who held lands in Renfrewshire and were known as the Pasleys of Riccarton. One notable member of this family was Walter Pasley, who served as a diplomat and ambassador for King James IV of Scotland in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

The Pasley name also appeared in various English records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1221, where it was recorded as "Payseleu." This may indicate that the name had spread to other parts of the British Isles by that time.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the surname Pasley was Sir Thomas Pasley (1597-1668), who was a Scottish military commander and served as the Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Another notable individual was Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley (1734-1808), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

Other historical figures with the surname Pasley include Sir Charles Pasley (1824-1890), a British military engineer and author of works on fortification and military tactics, and Sir Lynden Pindling (1930-2000), a Bahamian politician who served as the first Prime Minister of the Bahamas from 1967 to 1992, with his original surname being Pasley.

While the surname Pasley has connections to various locations and individuals throughout history, it is firmly rooted in its Scottish origins, with its earliest mentions and most prominent bearers hailing from that region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pasley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pasley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pasley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pasley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pasley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pasley, please contact us.

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