Paschal
A surname from the word for Easter or Passover, originally given to someone born at that season.
The #5,709 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,822 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Paschal ultimately comes from Latin Paschalis, meaning “of the Passover” or “of Easter,” from Pascha, the feast itself. In surname use, it was likely first applied as a nickname or identifying byname to someone born around Easter, or in some cases to someone connected with the religious season. French forms such as Pascal were more common, while Paschal is an older or more explicitly Latinized spelling.
History
Historical surname writers note that Pascal was the common French form, with Paschal a rarer variant or learned spelling. In English records, Paschal appears as a surname in medieval and early modern sources, and related forms such as Pasco and Pasch appear as regional or shortened variants. The name also survived as a given name, which helped keep it visible in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname lists, Paschal is grouped with other names derived from times of year, like Winter, August, and Noel.
From the historical record
“PASCAL(L\ PASCHAL PASCO V. Pash, Pask. PASeOE • PASKY I Paschal Balistarius. — Close Rolls. Pascal (later Pascau)is a very; common French surname, the form Paschal (Lat.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)