Paisley
Meaning of Paisley
Paisley is a Scottish place name and surname, taken from the town of Paisley in Renfrewshire, west of Glasgow. Name dictionaries trace the town's name to Scottish Gaelic paislig, which comes from Latin basilica, "church," so the name is generally glossed as "church." It was used as a surname before it became a given name. The pronunciation is PAYZ-lee.
The name's widest association is the paisley pattern, the curved teardrop motif that takes its English name from the town's textile industry. Paisley Abbey, founded in the twelfth century, is the town's best-known landmark. A notable bearer is Paisley Rekdal, an American poet and former Utah Poet Laureate.
As a girl's name in the United States, Paisley was uncommon for decades: 89 girls received it in 2000, when it ranked 1,900th. It then rose sharply, reaching 45th in 2015, the year 5,091 girls were given the name. It has stayed inside the top 100 every year since 2013, and in 2025 it ranked 67th with 3,508 births. Births have declined gradually from the 2015 peak, though the name remains far more common than it was two decades ago.
Pronunciation
American English
- Pronunced as PAYZ-lee (/'peɪzli/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Paisley
| Paisley Rekdal is an acclaimed American poet and former Utah Poet Laureate, author of poetry, essays, and a memoir, honored with awards including a Guggenheim and the Tufts Poetry Award. |
