- Gender: Unisex (most common as a feminine given-name)
- Pronunciation: PAYZ-lee
- First Estab: 1700s as a male name, early 1800s as a female name
From the name of the Scottish town Paisley in Renfrewshire, near Glasgow. The town name likely derives from the early Brittonic pasg meaning “basilica” a reference to the medieval Paisley Abbey. Others contend it is from the Anglo-Saxon meaning, “Paessa’s meadow”(Paessa being an Anglo-Saxon male name). Through the centuries, it has been variously recorded as Paselig, Paislay, Passelet, Passeleth, and Passelay. Its Gaelic form is Pàislig.
By extension, the name is associated with the famous paisley textile motif, a teardrop-shaped pattern with Persian (boteh) origins that reached Europe through the East India trade. The town of Paisley was known to have produced this pattern.
Its use as a male given-name started in the 18th-century, often used in reference to the mother’s surname, though it was rare as a first name and often bestowed as a middle name. The earliest record I could find for a female Paisley is from 1800, in Grainger, Tennessee.
It entered the girls’ Top 1000 in 2006 and has stayed in the Top 100 since 2013. As of 2024, it is the 61st most popular female name. It also appears in the U.K.’s Top 500 girls’ names, currently ranking it at #234 (2024).
Its recent popularity is no doubt used in reference to the pattern. It evokes bohemian fashion and combines a Scottish heritage vibe with a trendy, modern sound.
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