Pass
A surname from a narrow way or passage, or from the idea of passing by or through.
The #7,272 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,368 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This name is usually explained from Middle English pass, meaning a narrow passage, road, or entrance, ultimately from Old French passe and Latin passus, a step or stride. In some surname traditions it may also reflect residence by a pass or gateway, rather than any occupation in the modern sense. The form is simple enough that it could also overlap with nicknames or with later shortening from longer names in some families.
History
Lower treats Pass as a topographical surname, linked to a narrow entrance or avenue. Harrison similarly connects related names to the idea of a pass or passage, and notes nearby forms such as Passman and Passage. Because the word is so common, the surname may have arisen independently in more than one place.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root underlies several related surnames and place-names, including Passage and Passman.
From the historical record
“PASMORE = Passnnope, q.v. ' PASS, V. Pace. PASS(E)Y, V. Pacy : Pacy-sur-Eure, Paciacum in 1195, was Pfljjy in 1356. PASSINGHAM (Eng.) Bel. to Passenham ,1, *e 1 f'ASSA's Home or Estate PASSMAN (Fr.-Lat. + E.) Dweller at a Pass [M.E. pas(s, a pass, passage; Fr.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)