NameCensus.

UK surname

Passman

A surname derived from the word "passman," referring to a person who carried goods or merchandise across difficult terrain.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Passman surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, down from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stokesley, Seamer and Easingwold. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Passman is 231 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.1%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

1911

231 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Passman had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Passman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Passman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Passman 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 132 #16,957
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 148 #18,506
1901 historical 202 #15,010
1911 historical 231 #13,636
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 176 #19,722
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 176 #19,829
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 171 #20,079
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 172 #20,073
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 171 #20,595
2009 modern 173 #20,869
2010 modern 183 #20,586
2011 modern 176 #20,957
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 183 #20,722
2014 modern 182 #20,958
2015 modern 180 #20,997
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

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Where Passmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stokesley, Seamer, Easingwold, Coxwold and Rudby-in-Cleveland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Hambleton. 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 Stokesley Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Seamer Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Easingwold Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Coxwold Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Rudby-in-Cleveland Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 010 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Redcar and Cleveland 004 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough
4 Hambleton 002 Hambleton
5 Hambleton 001 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Passman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Passman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Passman, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Passman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Passman is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Passman 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 Passman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Passman

The surname Passman is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. The name is derived from the German word "Passeier," which refers to a region in the northern Italian Alps near the Austrian border. This area was historically inhabited by German-speaking communities, which may explain the origins of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Passman can be found in the Codex Wangianus, a medieval manuscript from the 13th century that documents legal proceedings in the region of Tyrol. The name appears in the form "Passmayr," likely referring to someone who hailed from the Passeier region.

In the 15th century, the name Passman began to appear in various historical records across Germany and Austria. One notable figure was Hans Passman, a blacksmith from the town of Innsbruck, who was born around 1430 and is mentioned in local guild records from the late 1400s.

As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Passmann, Passman, and Passmanne. In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the University of Leipzig, where a student named Johann Passman enrolled in 1578.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Christoph Passman, a German theologian and author who lived from 1612 to 1679. He wrote several influential works on Protestant theology and served as a minister in various churches across Germany.

In the 18th century, the name Passman can be found in the records of the Prussian army. One such individual was Friedrich Passman, a soldier who fought in the Seven Years' War and was born in 1736 in the region of Silesia, which at the time was part of Prussia.

During the 19th century, the Passman surname began to spread more widely across Europe and beyond. One notable figure from this period was the British architect George Passman, who was born in 1825 and designed several prominent buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

As the centuries passed, the Passman surname continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, from artists and writers to scientists and entrepreneurs. However, the name's origins can be traced back to the medieval German-speaking communities of the Passeier region in the Italian Alps, where it first emerged as a locational surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Passman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Passman 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 97 Passmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.66x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 97 7.66x
Lancashire 7 0.46x
Middlesex 6 0.47x
Warwickshire 6 1.86x
Durham 3 0.79x
Glamorgan 3 1.35x
Gloucestershire 3 1.20x
Herefordshire 3 5.73x
Essex 1 0.40x
Lanarkshire 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oulston in Yorkshire leads with 12 Passmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 15000.00x.

Place Total Index
Oulston 12 15000.00x
Easingwold 11 1235.96x
Gate Fulford 11 371.62x
Middlesbrough 9 54.58x
Newburgh 9 15000.00x
Hutton Rudby 7 1842.11x
Milverton 6 638.30x
Ormesby 6 176.47x
Appleton Wiske 5 3571.43x
Seamer In Stokesley 5 4545.45x
Toxteth Park 5 9.74x
Coxwold 4 2857.14x
Stokesley 4 506.33x
Bristol St James In 3 81.30x
Canon Frome 3 6000.00x
Kirkby Moorside 3 370.37x
Michaelstone Super Avon 3 124.48x
Shoreditch London 3 5.42x
Stranton 3 23.44x
Ampleforth Birdforth 2 2500.00x
Liverpool 2 2.17x
Poplar London 2 8.29x
York St Nicholas In 2 281.69x
Barony 1 0.96x
Carlton Husthwaite 1 1428.57x
Carlton In Stokesley 1 909.09x
Hove 1 10.58x
Husthwaite 1 526.32x
Little Busby 1 10000.00x
St Pancras London 1 0.97x
Thornaby 1 21.14x
Walthamstow 1 11.01x
York St Crux 1 277.78x
York St Lawrence 1 75.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 5
Annie 4
Ann 3
Sarah 3
Elisabeth 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Ballinda 1
Constance 1
Deborah 1
Dora 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Elisa 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Helen 1
Kate 1
Lillie 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1
Prudence 1
Rebeckah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 11
Thomas 11
Francis 4
Richard 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
James 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Harry 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Consett 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Thom 1
Wallace 1
Willie 1
Wilson 1
Zebediah 1

FAQ

Passman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Passman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Passman surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Passman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Passman a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Passman surname mean?

A surname derived from the word "passman," referring to a person who carried goods or merchandise across difficult terrain.

What does the Passman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Passman 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.