Parel last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Parel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Parel.

Meaning of Parel

A surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a pear orchard.

Parel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Parel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parel in America

Parel is the 73666th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parel surname appeared 263 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Parel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 73666 71610 2.83%
Count 263 254 3.48%
Proportion per 100k 0.09 0.09 0.00%

The history of the last name Parel

The surname PAREL has its roots in the Netherlands, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "parel," meaning "pearl," which could indicate that the name was initially associated with someone involved in the pearl trade or possibly a place name related to the pearl industry.

In the early 17th century, the name PAREL appears in several historical records and manuscripts from the Dutch provinces, particularly in the regions of Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland. One notable mention is in the "Register op de Leidsche Naamlijsten" (Register of Leiden Name Lists) from the year 1619, where a merchant named Hendrik PAREL is listed as residing in the city of Leiden.

The earliest recorded instance of the PAREL surname dates back to 1572, when a reference to a man named Pieter PAREL is found in the "Oud-Rechterlijk Archief" (Old Judicial Archives) of the city of Delft. This suggests that the name may have originated in the area around Delft, which was a prominent center for the pearl trade during that time.

In the 18th century, the PAREL surname gained recognition with the birth of Jan PAREL (1724-1798), a Dutch painter and engraver known for his landscapes and cityscapes. His works are part of the collections of several museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Another notable figure with the PAREL surname was Dirk PAREL (1789-1864), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the Mayor of Rotterdam from 1825 to 1840. He was instrumental in the city's development and expansion during his tenure.

The PAREL name has also been associated with place names in the Netherlands, such as Parel Buurt, a neighborhood in the city of Leiden, and Parel Polder, a polder (low-lying tract of land reclaimed from the sea) located near Rotterdam.

Other historical figures bearing the PAREL surname include:

  1. Cornelis PAREL (1660-1735), a Dutch merchant and shipowner based in Amsterdam.
  2. Pieter PAREL (1720-1779), a Dutch naval officer who served in the Dutch East Indies.
  3. Hendrik PAREL (1790-1856), a Dutch architect known for his work in the Neo-Renaissance style.
  4. Willem PAREL (1825-1892), a Dutch botanist and explorer who conducted expeditions in the Dutch East Indies and Suriname.
  5. Johanna PAREL (1860-1932), a Dutch feminist and activist who campaigned for women's suffrage in the Netherlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Parel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Parel was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 16.35% 43
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 73.38% 193
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 4.18% 11
Hispanic Origin 3.80% 10

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Parel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 16.35% 22.44% -31.40%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 73.38% 67.32% 8.61%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 4.18% 5.91% -34.29%
Hispanic 3.80% 3.54% 7.08%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Parel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Parel, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Parel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/parel-surname-popularity/.

"Parel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/parel-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Parel last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/parel-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.