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

Parke, 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 Parke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parke in America

Parke is the 7031st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parke surname appeared 4,759 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Parke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parke 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.

The history of the last name Parke

The surname Parke originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pearroc," meaning an enclosed area or park. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked on a park or enclosed land.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Parke or variations of it, such as Parcus and Parco. One of the earliest recorded instances is of a person named Robertus de Parco, who was listed as holding lands in Lincolnshire.

During the medieval period, the name Parke was predominantly found in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some notable individuals from this time include Sir Thomas de Parke, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, and John Parke, a wealthy merchant from York who lived in the 14th century.

As people began to migrate and settle in different regions, the name spread across England and Scotland. In the 16th century, there are records of a family with the surname Parke residing in Giggleswick, Yorkshire. One of their descendants, Mungo Parke (1561-1623), was a renowned scholar and educator who served as the headmaster of Skipton Grammar School.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Parke (1647-1718), an English politician and baronet from Nottinghamshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

In Scotland, the name Parke was particularly prevalent in the Borders region. One of the earliest recorded instances is of a family from Gillieshill, Berwickshire, in the 16th century. A prominent member of this family was Robert Parke (1612-1689), a Scottish minister and author.

Over the centuries, the surname Parke has also been spelled in various ways, such as Park, Parkes, and Parks. Some other notable individuals with this surname include Mungo Park (1771-1806), a Scottish explorer and one of the first Europeans to explore the River Niger in West Africa, and Rosa Parks (1913-2005), an American civil rights activist known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parke

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

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 Parke was:

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 Parke has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Parke was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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