NameCensus.

UK surname

Pasley

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Dumfriesshire, likely meaning "peasant's meadow" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 202 people recorded with the Pasley surname, ranking it #12,753 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 164, ranked #22,314, down from #12,753 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Denbighshire and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pasley is 253 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.8%.

1881 census count

202

Ranked #12,753

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

1911

253 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pasley had 202 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,753 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 253 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Pasley surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pasley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pasley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pasley over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 168 #11,873
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 202 #12,753
1891 historical 187 #15,679
1901 historical 227 #13,970
1911 historical 253 #12,776
1997 modern 182 #18,693
1998 modern 183 #19,106
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 164 #20,584
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 167 #20,457
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 158 #21,077
2005 modern 159 #20,983
2006 modern 158 #21,229
2007 modern 152 #22,022
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 156 #22,351
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 168 #21,516
2013 modern 161 #22,521
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 159 #22,796
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

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Where Pasleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Lambeth and Batley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Denbighshire, Ryedale, Cardiff and Bristol. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 037 Sheffield
2 Denbighshire 016 Denbighshire
3 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
4 Cardiff 021 Cardiff
5 Bristol 035 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pasley

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pasley surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pasley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pasley, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Pasley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pasley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pasley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pasley is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pasley falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pasley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pasley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pasley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pasley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 71 Pasleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 71 3.62x
Lancashire 22 0.94x
Surrey 20 2.07x
Renfrewshire 18 11.73x
Sussex 13 3.89x
Durham 8 1.36x
Hampshire 8 1.97x
Hertfordshire 7 5.13x
Suffolk 6 2.49x
Warwickshire 6 1.20x
Glamorgan 5 1.45x
Middlesex 4 0.20x
Gloucestershire 2 0.52x
Kent 2 0.30x
Westmorland 2 4.60x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.80x
Cumberland 1 0.59x
Devon 1 0.24x
Essex 1 0.26x
Lanarkshire 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.38x
Norfolk 1 0.33x
Staffordshire 1 0.15x
Wigtownshire 1 3.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 22 Pasleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.12x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 22 55.12x
Nether Hallam 19 71.56x
Neilston 18 233.77x
Lambeth 13 7.53x
Sheffield 12 19.21x
Brightside Bierlow 9 23.39x
Cheetham 9 51.34x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 8 112.20x
Bushey 7 215.38x
Gateshead 7 15.87x
Aston 6 4.36x
Eastbourne 6 39.06x
Wetheringsett Cum 6 857.14x
Fairlight 5 1515.15x
Penarth 5 148.37x
Portsea 4 5.03x
Droxford 3 193.55x
Fulham London 3 10.45x
Kirkdale 3 7.59x
Mortlake 3 69.77x
Stretford 3 23.20x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 5.36x
Preston 2 34.31x
Richmond 2 14.79x
Westbury On Trym 2 15.20x
Withington 2 26.42x
Arthuret 1 56.18x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.95x
Braintree 1 28.49x
Chorley 1 7.59x
Clapham 1 4.04x
Govan 1 0.63x
Holme 1 188.68x
Kendal 1 12.55x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 10.94x
Kirkcolm 1 79.37x
Leeds 1 0.90x
North Leith 1 8.14x
Soberton 1 133.33x
South Brent 1 112.36x
St Marylebone London 1 0.95x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.41x
Tonbridge 1 4.10x
Trumpington 1 156.25x
Westoe 1 2.99x
Wigan 1 3.05x
Wimbledon 1 9.23x
Woolwich 1 4.01x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pasley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pasley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Henry 7
Thomas 7
William 7
James 6
Joseph 6
Charles 5
George 5
John 5
Robert 5
Richard 4
Arthur 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Eli 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Bernard 1
Chicton 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Hamilton 1
Horatio 1
Jos.Jas. 1
Malcolm 1
Montague 1
Percy 1
Robt.Earnest 1
Russell 1
Sheridan 1
Silas 1
Sydney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Pasley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pasley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 202 people were recorded with the Pasley surname. That placed it at #12,753 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pasley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Pasley a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Pasley surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Dumfriesshire, likely meaning "peasant's meadow" in Old English.

What does the Pasley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pasley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.