At a Glance: Name: Parsley – Meaning: as a surname/given name: originally a Norman-French nickname roughly meaning 'pass the water' (probably for a ferryman), later folk-reshaped to look like the herb name – Origin: Old French (surname, folk-altered) – Gender: Unisex – Pronunciation: PAHRS-lee
Parsley is an Old French (surname, folk-altered) unisex name meaning “as a surname/given name: originally a Norman-French nickname roughly meaning 'pass the water' (probably for a ferryman), later folk-reshaped to look like the herb name”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Parsley
Meaning: As a surname/given name: originally a Norman-French nickname roughly meaning 'pass the water' (probably for a ferryman), later folk-reshaped to look like the herb name.
Origin: Old French (surname, folk-altered).
A common claim: Parsley (as a name) is assumed to relate to the herb, meaning roughly 'rock celery' Actually: As a surname or given name, Wiktionary traces Parsley instead to an Old French nickname meaning roughly 'pass the water,' likely for a ferryman — the resemblance to the herb name is a later folk-etymology coincidence.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Parsley
Phonetic: PAHRS-lee IPA: /ˈpɑːrsli/
Popularity of Parsley
Parsley doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.
Lists That Include Parsley
- 200+ Botanical Baby Names for Nature-Loving Parents
- 175+ Herb and Garden Plant Baby Names for Earthy Parents
Similar Names
Oregano · Chervil · Chive · Burnet · Pennyroyal · Coriander
