Passand Family Origins

[Weeford HoldcroftS]

I have been researching my family tree and found that one of my ancestors married into the PASSAND family in Warwickshire and Staffordshire, I have gone back to circa 1560. What I cannot seem to find out is an origin of the name and wondered if it was an English surname or a foreign name. Tried searching google no joy. Can anyone help?

[jim1]

The NBI shows the majority & earliest are in Salop & Staffs. going back to the 1500's.
The Salop group were mainly in Worthen & the Staffs. Group Barton-under-Needwood.
There appear to be a number of similar names in France, Passant/Passance/Poisant.
So quite possible it came across post Norman invasion.

[Vance Mead]

Here are some early references from Common Pleas:

Hilary term 1480, sixth entry:
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT3/E4/CP40no871/aCP40no871fronts/IMG_0417.htm
Warks. John Passand, of Coventry, baker

Hilary term 1519, second entry;
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/H8/CP40no1023/bCP40no1023dorses/IMG_0065.htm
Leics. William Passand, of Stonesby, husbandman

Hilary term 1531, third entry:
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H8/CP40no1068/aCP40no1068fronts/IMG_0600.htm
Leics. Richard Passand, of Stonesby, husbandman

[Manchester Rambler]

The Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames lists the form Passant as a variant of Passavant, from Old French "passe avant" or "go before" - perhaps originally meaning a herald or a messenger. The earliest records of the name in England date back to the 1100s.

[Weeford HoldcroftS]

Many thanks to you all, I had thought the name may be French in origin and many thanks for the early references I seem to have hit on an interesting branch of my ancestors.