Parent
An occupational surname for a parent or guardian, or one who bears or rears children.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,990 Americans carry the last name Parent. That puts it at #3,225 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,386 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parent surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,386
Census rank
#3,225
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,193 bearers of the surname Parent in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3225th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parent, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parent
The surname PARENT is of French origin and dates back to the late medieval period in France. It is derived from the Old French word "parent" meaning "relative" or "kin." The name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who was closely related to a prominent family or had many relatives in a particular region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PARENT surname can be found in the Calendars of Inquisitions Post Mortem from the reign of King Edward III in England, where a John Parent is mentioned in the year 1388. This suggests that the name had already spread from France to England by the 14th century.
In France, the PARENT name appears in various historical records and manuscripts from the 15th century onwards. For example, a Guillaume Parent is recorded in the parish records of Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris in 1467. The name is also found in the tax rolls and census records of various regions in France during this period.
The PARENT surname is closely associated with the village of Parentis-en-Born in the Landes region of southwestern France. This place name is derived from the Latin word "parentes," meaning "parents" or "ancestors," and likely influenced the development of the surname in that area.
Notable historical figures with the PARENT surname include:
1. Pierre Parent (c. 1510-1563), a French Catholic theologian and writer from Paris.
2. Jacques Parent (1619-1690), a French Jesuit missionary who worked among the Huron and Iroquois tribes in Canada.
3. Antoine Parent (1666-1716), a French sculptor and architect active in Paris during the late Baroque period.
4. Marie-Aveline Parent (1735-1816), a French diarist and memoirist from Normandy, whose writings provide valuable insights into daily life during the French Revolution.
5. Joseph Parent (1827-1903), a French-Canadian politician and journalist who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
The PARENT name has also been associated with various places and locations throughout history, such as the communes of Parent in the Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal departments of central France, and the hamlet of Parent in the Ardennes region of northeastern France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parent
Among Census respondents with the surname Parent, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Parent bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Parent surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7%
- Hispanic or Latino2.0%
- Black or African American1.9%
- Two or more races1.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Parent surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,225 | #3,225 | 0.0% |
| Count | 11,193 | 11,193 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.79 | 3.79 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Parent bearers went from 11,193 to 11,193 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #3,225 to #3,225.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Parent
FAQ
Parent surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Parent?
The surname Parent holds position #3,225 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 12,990 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 3.79 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Parent surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parent, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Black (1.9%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.