Parry
A masculine name derived from a French surname referring to peasants or villagers.
Name Census estimates that about 387 living Americans carry the first name Parry. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Parry today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Parry births was 1965 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Parry. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
387
~ 1 in 885,670 Americans
Peak year
1965
19 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1999 SSA rank
#9,566
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Parry: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Parry from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 138 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Parry by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Parry during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Parrys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Michigan, New York recorded the most babies named Parry, while New York, Michigan, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Parry
The name Parry has its roots in the Old French language, derived from the word "parer," which means "to parry" or "to ward off." It originally referred to the defensive action in fencing or sword fighting, where one deflects an opponent's attack. The name likely emerged in the medieval period, during the heyday of chivalry and knightly combat.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled "Paré" or "Parré," and it was initially used as a surname or a descriptive byname for skilled fencers or swordsmen. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, particularly in English-speaking regions influenced by French culture and language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Parry can be found in the 14th century, when a French fencing master named Parré authored a treatise on the art of swordsmanship. This work, titled "Le Jeu de la Hache" (The Play of the Axe), is considered one of the earliest known manuals on medieval combat techniques.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Parry. In the 16th century, Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer and courtier, had a ship named The Parry as part of his fleet during his voyages to the Americas. This suggests that the name was already in use at that time.
One of the most famous bearers of the name was Sir William Edward Parry (1790-1855), a renowned British naval officer and Arctic explorer. He led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in search of the Northwest Passage and made significant contributions to the field of polar exploration.
Another prominent figure was Caleb Hillier Parry (1755-1822), a Welsh physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant physiology and pathology. He was the first to describe the condition now known as Parry's Disease, named after him.
In the realm of literature, we find Edward Parry (1830-1890), an English poet and translator who was known for his translations of French and Italian works. His most notable work was a translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy."
Lastly, in the field of sports, there was Sir Billy Parry (1868-1927), a Welsh rugby union player who captained the British Isles team on their tour of South Africa in 1896. He was also a prominent lawyer and served as a member of parliament.
These examples highlight the historical presence and significance of the name Parry across various fields, from exploration and science to literature and sports, spanning multiple centuries and cultures influenced by the French language and its martial traditions.
People
Parry + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Parry as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Parry: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Parry?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 387 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Parry going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 885,670 US residents.
Is Parry a common name?
We classify Parry as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 508 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Parry most popular?
The single biggest year for Parry was 1965, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Parry is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Parry a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Parry in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.