Show ContentsPasley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Scottish history reveals Pasley was first used as a surname by the Strathclyde-Briton people. It was a name for someone who lived in the town of Paisley in Renfrew (now part of the Strathclyde region).

Early Origins of the Pasley family

The surname Pasley was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Pasley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pasley research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1179, 1199, 1202, 1320 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pasley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pasley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. Pasley has been spelled Paisley, Pasley and others.

Early Notables of the Pasley family

More information is included under the topic Early Pasley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pasley Ranking

In the United States, the name Pasley is the 9,201st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Pasley family to Ireland

Some of the Pasley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Pasley migration to Australia +

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

Pasley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Lucy Pasley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 [2]
  • Mary J Pasley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1851 [3]
  • M. Pasley, aged 48, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Chatham" [4]
  • Mary Pasley, aged 18, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Chatham" [4]
  • Harriet Pasley, aged 13, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Chatham" [4]

New Zealand Pasley 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:

Pasley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Frederick Pasley, aged 32, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
  • Emma Pasley, aged 30, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
  • Margaret Pasley, aged 9, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
  • Emily Pasley, aged 7, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
  • George Frederick Pasley, aged 2, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Pasley (post 1700) +

  • Sir Rodney Pasley, British school headmaster
  • Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley (1804-1884), British Naval officer, Commander-in-chief at Portsmouth (1866-1869)
  • Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley (1734-1808), British Naval officer, fifth son of James Pasley of Craig, Dumfriesshire
  • Sir Charles William Pasley (1780-1861), Scottish soldier, military engineer and writer from Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire
  • Charles Pasley (1824-1890), English major-general royal engineers, eldest son of General Sir Charles William Pasley, born at Brompton barracks, Chatham, Kent; he was appointed colonial engineer of the colony of Victoria in 1853
  • Major General Joesephy Pasley,
  • Sir John Malcolm Sabine Pasley (1926-2004), Indian born literary scholar, 5th Baronet Pasley


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY BRUCE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846LadyBruce.htm
  3. State Library of South Australia. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) ASIA 1851 from London 12 05 1851 and southampton with Captain Roskell, arrived Port Adelaide on 1-09-1851. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Asia.htm
  4. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHATHAM 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/chatham1852.shtml


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