Paisley: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “church”
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic
- Say it
- PAYZ-lee · 2 syllables
- Used for
- Girls
From a Scottish place name and surname, ultimately linked to Paisley in Renfrewshire. The place name is usually traced to a Brittonic or Latin ecclesiastical source, often interpreted as 'church,' though details are somewhat uncertain. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.
How popular is Paisley?
Babies named Paisley in 20243,548
2024 rank#61 girls
Peak year2017
Total US babies since 188061,899
Paisley is rising: use over the last five years is 1.6× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Paisley
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
- Paisleechurch, cemetery · Scottish Gaelic
- ElsieGod is my oath · Scottish Gaelic
- Mackenzieson of Coinneach · Scottish Gaelic
- Bonniepretty; cheerful · Scottish Gaelic
- Camryncrooked nose · Scottish Gaelic
- Fionafair, white · Scottish Gaelic
- Skyefrom the Isle of Skye · Scottish Gaelic
- Blaireplain, field · Scottish Gaelic
Paisley questions
What does the name Paisley mean?
Paisley means "church". It comes from Scottish Gaelic. From a Scottish place name and surname, ultimately linked to Paisley in Renfrewshire. The place name is usually traced to a Brittonic or Latin ecclesiastical source, often interpreted as 'church,' though details are somewhat uncertain.
Is Paisley a boy or girl name?
Paisley is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Paisley?
3,548 US babies were named Paisley in 2024. Its peak year was 2017.
How do you pronounce Paisley?
Paisley is usually pronounced PAYZ-lee.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.