Pass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Pass was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Pass family lived in Essex. The name, however, is a reference to Pasci, in Eure, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Origins of the Pass family

The surname Pass was first found in Essex but the family were originally from Pasci in Eure, Normandy and were granted lands in Essex by Henry, Duke of Normandy through Robert, Earl of Leicester, at Much and Great Baddow. While the surname was firmly established in this are for many years, searching various rolls for the surname revealed a John Pascal in the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221, and a William Pascale in 1275 in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire.

Early History of the Pass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pass research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1333, 1347 and 1361 are included under the topic Early Pass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pass Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Pass have been found, including Pascall, Paschall, Pascale, Pascal, Paschal, Pascoll and many more.

Early Notables of the Pass family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pass Ranking

In the United States, the name Pass is the 6,528^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Pass migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Pass were among those contributors:

Pass Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Pass, who landed in Virginia in 1700 2

Pass Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M Christ Pass, aged 50, who arrived in America in 1842 2
Nathaniel Pass, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
Franz Anton Pass, who arrived in America in 1846 2
Rachel Pass, aged 7, who arrived in New York in 1862 2

Pass migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pass Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Pass, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. Capper Pass, (b. 1780), aged 39, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1839 4
Peter Pass, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1849 5
Mr. John Pass, English convict who was convicted in Knutsford (Nether Knutsford), Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 6

Pass migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Pass Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

E. Pass, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1872
Edmund Pass, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1872

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BOLTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Bolton.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie