Pasha Family History

Muslim (mainly the Indian subcontinent): status name or honorific title from Turkish paşa ‘pasha’ a title of rank for a regional military and civil governor in the Ottoman Empire itself most likely derived from Persian pādshāh ‘padishah (i.e. ruler)‎’. Compare Basha; see also Bey.

Albanian: from pasha or pashë (definite form pasha) ‘pasha’ a status name or honorific title of Turkish origin (see 1 above) used during the Ottoman Turkish rule over Albania.

Americanized form of Croatian Paša: nickname from paša ‘pasha’ a title of the Ottoman military and civil officers of high rank (see 1 above). It originates from the times of the Turkish occupation of the Balkans.

In some cases also an altered form of English (Channel Islands) Pasher itself an Anglicized form of French Perchard: nickname apparently derived from Old French perche ‘pole rod’ + the suffix -ard perhaps denoting someone who was tall and thin.

The surname Perchard may have originated in Guernsey which lies off the coast of Ille-et-Vilaine (Brittany) where the surname is also recorded from the 16th century to the modern day. In some cases, possibly also an Americanized form of Turkish Paşa: ornamental name or nickname from the title paşa ‘pasha’ (see 1 above) or perhaps from the same word which in certain dialects denotes ‘father’ or ‘elder brother’.