Parsley Family History
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Parsley Name Meaning
English (of Norman origin): altered form of the medieval family name Passelewe (assimilated by folk etymology to the herb name parsley). The medieval name is from Old French passe(r) ‘to pass or cross’ + l’ewe ‘the water’, hence a nickname, probably for a ferryman or a merchant who was in the habit of traveling overseas, or else someone who had been on a pilgrimage or crusade. It may also have been used as a topographic name for someone who lived on the opposite side of a watercourse from the main settlement.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
Similar surnames: Pasley, Paley, Harley, Pursley, Barley, Varley, Pawley, Worsley