The first name Paisley
A girl’s name meaning “pasture”.
Pronounced /ˈpeɪzli/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Paisley means “pasture”.
From Scottish Gaelic Pàislig (“pasture”). Despite occasional respellings such as Paisleigh, this word does not etymologically contain the suffix -ley/-leigh.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 207 girls were named Paisley, making it the 226th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 369 births (#147).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Paisley with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Paisley at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 3,508 girls born in the United States were named Paisley, the 67th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2015, when 5,091 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Questions
- What does the name Paisley mean?
- Paisley means “pasture”.
- How popular is the name Paisley?
- In 2025, 207 girls born in England and Wales were named Paisley, ranking 226th. Its peak was 2017, with 369 births.
- Is Paisley a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 65,456 US babies named Paisley since 1880 were girls.
- When was Paisley most popular?
- 2015 in the United States, when 5,091 babies were named Paisley, its highest rank at 45th.
- How do you pronounce Paisley?
- Paisley is /ˈpeɪzli/, 2 syllables.
- Is Paisley also a surname?
- Yes. Paisley is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.