Passant - Surname Meaning

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This unusual surname was brought into Britain during the Norman invasion. Its original spelling was Passeavant (and variations thereof), French for 'to go in front', an occupational surname for a messenger.

Early mentions include:

Adam Passavant, of Eyton, Alberbury, 1086, Doomsday Landholder's List
Her' Gilberti Passeuant, 1332, Lincolnshire Lay Subsidy
Margaret, daughter of Robert Passeuant, 1412, Shropshire Peace Rolls
John Passand, of Shrewsbury, mercer, s. of William, of Abbey Forgate, 1454, Shrewsbury Burgess Records

The surname is extant in the UK. By the 17th century many Passavant families had either become extinct or changed to different surnames. The primary line of the family was now settled around Worthen and Shrewsbury in Shropshire, where they practised the trades of apothecary and were yeoman farmers. According to The Publications of the Selden Society, Vol. 16, page 204., all Shropshire Passants were descendants of an man living in the early 16th century by the name of John Passeffant, Cryer of the Abbottes Curtes and Wolde Haue. In the 17th century, the most common rendering of the name was Passand. In the 18th century, the Shropshire Passands, scattered and died out, leaving just one family carrying the name Passon. Some Passants of this family went to Ireland while others went to London and Oxfordshire. By the 19th century the surname was invariably rendered as Passant, who were numerous as shoemakers in South West Shropshire.

The surname is also extant in France and other parts of Europe.

— David Hopkins, written: 2012-2013

Variants of this surname include: Passavant & Passon.

Where people with the surname Passant have lived

Passant - Surname Distribution

Passant Distribution in the United Kingdom in 1881

Hover over a county for more details.

No. of People

* Statistics based on the 1881 census of the United Kingdom, Channel Islands & Isle of Man

Highest Incidence of Passants in UK Counties and Dependencies

Rank	County	No. of People	% of Region
1	Shropshire	79	0.03
2	Montgomeryshire	35	0.05
3	Lancashire	20	-
4	Surrey	16	-
5	Staffordshire	12	-
6	Derbyshire	11	-
7	Warwickshire	4	-
8	Yorkshire	4	-
9	Oxfordshire	4	-
10	Middlesex	2	-
11	Cheshire	2	-
12	Somerset	1	-
13	Devon	1	-
14	Caernarfonshire	1	-
15	Essex	1	-

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Highest Incidence of Passants in UK Towns

Rank	Town	No. of People	% of Town
1	Worthen	27	0.84
2	Shrewsbury	15	0.05
3	Baslow	11	1.32
4	Newington	10	0.01
5	Manchester	8	-
6	Wolverhampton	8	0.01
7	Welshpool	7	0.14
8	Buttington	7	1.01
9	Wigan	7	0.01
10	Westbury	7	0.54
11	Churchstoke	7	0.47
12	Guilsfield	7	0.29
13	Montford	6	1.20
14	Southwark	5	0.01
15	Llandrinio	5	0.62
16	Alberbury	4	0.25
17	Solihull	4	0.08
18	Chirbury	4	0.27
19	Ellesmere	3	0.05
20	Condover	3	0.17
21	Oxford	3	0.01
22	Gorton	3	0.01
23	Pontesbury	2	0.07
24	West Bromwich	2	-
25	Bilston	2	0.01
26	Minsterley	2	0.21
27	Ashton upon Mersey	2	0.02
28	Rotherham	1	-
29	St Marylebone	1	-
30	Llandwrog	1	0.02
31	Shifnal	1	0.01
32	Castell Caereinion	1	0.17
33	Ripon	1	0.01
34	Oswestry	1	0.01
35	Toxteth Park	1	-
36	Colchester	1	-
37	Nether Hoyland	1	0.01
38	Bicester	1	0.03
39	Montgomery	1	0.08
40	Whittington	1	0.04
41	Camberwell	1	-
42	Eston	1	0.02
43	Liverpool	1	-
44	Cardeston	1	0.36
45	Wells	1	0.01
46	Tavistock	1	0.01
47	Westminster	1	-
48	Llanymynech	1	0.10
49	St Martin's	1	0.04