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

Passmore, 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 Passmore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Passmore in America

Passmore is the 5510th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Passmore surname appeared 6,314 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Passmore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Passmore 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 Passmore

The surname Passmore is of English origin, with its earliest recordings dating back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "pass" meaning a narrow passage or path, and "mor" meaning a moor or marsh. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a marshy area with a narrow path leading through it.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robertus de Passemore, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1196. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, making this one of the earliest documented instances of the surname.

The Passmore name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which were a series of inquisitions or surveys conducted during the reign of King Edward I. This record lists a William de Passemore, indicating the presence of the surname in that region during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name is found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Johannes Passmore is listed. The Poll Tax was a tax levied on every person above a certain age, providing valuable records of names and locations during that time.

One notable bearer of the Passmore name was John Passmore, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1637 to 1720. He served as the Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and was also a prebendary of Chichester Cathedral.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Benjamin Passmore, a British engineer and industrialist who lived from 1767 to 1848. He played a significant role in the development of early steam engines and was involved in the construction of several notable bridges and canals in England.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Passmore name is that of Thomas Passmore, who arrived in Pennsylvania from England in the late 17th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country.

Other notable individuals with the Passmore surname include William Passmore, an English artist and engraver born in 1825, and John Passmore Edwards, a British journalist, publisher, and philanthropist who lived from 1823 to 1911 and was known for his support of public libraries and education.

While the Passmore name has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through emigration and settlement in other countries. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the locational descriptions of marshy areas with narrow paths.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Passmore

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

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 Passmore 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 Passmore 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 Passmore was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!