Finnish itself does not follow the usual rules of European languages, and its surname etymology is equally obscure. The nearest "relation" to Finnish is Hungarian, however, in name development Finland is more Scandinavian, surnames being most commonly based upon early given names of Christian-Hebrew origins. In this case Paaso, also recorded as Paas, Baas, Paasa and Paavo, is believed to be a 9th Century development of the ancient "pesakh", and describes one born on the day of the feast of the Passover, an Easter child. In England the usual form of the surname is "Pasch", but every Christian country has its own spelling form. Scandinavian Name Registers and Church Records are later than many other countries, true hereditary surnames often being as late as the 19th Century in remote areas. Recordings of the name include the following examples: Henry Passa, a witness at Haukipudas, on April 8th 1726; Elizabeth Passo, christened at Muhos, on June 8th 1789; and Henr Passo, who married Lisa Hamari at Piippola, Finland, on July 30th 1854. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Simon Passo, which was dated April 21st 1722, marriage to Juliana Thomasdr, at Oulu, Finland, during the reign of Czar Peter the Great of Russia (including Finland), 1689 - 1725. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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