The Pass surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,583 people carried this name — #7,272 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 64,500 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,532 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pass surname

As an English surname, from a pet form of the medieval name Passe, itself probably a pet form of Pascal.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Pass» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Pash’.

An early record he cites: Richard dict' Pas, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 588 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 23 people named Pass.

3 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Jura.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 3
Jura 12
Meuse 4
Paris 3
Corsica 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 20 people named Pass live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Limburg.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Limburg 20

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Pass in American newspapers,
1895–1918.

Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Pass
St. Tammany Farmer 1912-11-30
Newspaper page from The Morgan City Daily Review carrying the name Pass
The Morgan City Daily Review 1918-02-16
Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Pass
The Anaconda Standard 1895-02-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,354 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pass in Australian newspapers,
1810s–1990s.

13,804 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pass. The most, 2,225, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,329
Victoria 2,777
Queensland 2,449
Western Australia 2,413
South Australia 1,263
Tasmania 469
ACT (Canberra) 68
Northern Territory 14

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pass.

Who carried it

People named Pass,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Cornelius Pass 1740–1806 · engraver
  • Cornelius Pass 1741–1806 · engraver
  • John Pass 1783–1832 · engraver
  • John Pass 1783–1832 · engraver
  • John Pass 1790–1832 · engraver
  • John Pass 1790–1832 · engraver

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pass,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States560 records

560 records of the Pass name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 156
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 149
  • Other U.S. records 255
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frank Pass

    Born 1905 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Houston; construction laborer from Harris County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1958, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Johannes Pass

    Arrived at New York in 1862 aboard the E.f. Gabain from Bremen and Bremerhaven, aged 21; farmer. From Schoenbach, Hesse Nassau, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Pass

    Born 1949; from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 560 records for Pass in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia172 records

172 records of the Pass name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 61
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 44
  • Other Australian records 67
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Pass

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lady Raffles, sailing from Portsmouth in 1840. Native of Manchester, Lancashire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1854. Married 1854 in Fingal, Tasmania, aged 40.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Richard Pass

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Liguria, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Pass

    Gentleman of Wangaratta, Victoria; died 1937.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 172 records for Pass in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands168 records

168 records of the Pass name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 75
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 47
  • Dutch population registers 46
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Lucia Pass

    Married in 1916 in Maastricht; domestic servant, born 1889 in Boorsheim, Belgium. Died 1964 in Urmond, aged 74.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Everhardus Pass

    Married in 1824 in Huissen; labourer, born 1793 in Huissen (Lingewaard). Died 1862 in Huissen, aged 69.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Johanna Margaretha Pass

    Died 1829 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 89.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 168 records for Pass in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany138 records

138 records of the Pass name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Paß

    Born 1887; from Werdohl. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 30 December 1916.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Otto Paß

    From Vohwinkel, Mettmann. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 21 July 1916 (Pioneer Regiment No. 19).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Paß

    From Döhren, Hannover. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 17 October 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 74).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 138 records for Pass in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Canada40 records

40 records of the Pass name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 27
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 5
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Fr'd Pass

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Sardinian, landing at Halifax, bound for Windsor, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Louise Anne Pass

    Buried in 1983 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 37.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Pass

    Died 1934 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 40 records for Pass in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France10 records

10 records of the Pass name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Juliette Catherine Sidonie Pass

    Born 1900 in Morez; died 1987 in Morez (Jura).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Robert Georges Pass

    Born 1923 in Lons-le-Saunier (Jura); died 1999 in Annemasse (Haute-Savoie).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eglantine Pauline Pass

    Born 1894 in Morez; died 1993 in Champagnole (Jura).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Pass in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the Pass name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 7
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Pass

    Will proved in 1937; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Pass

    Coldstream Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Pass

    Northamptonshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Pass in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pass.

When the index is not enough

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