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

Parker, 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 Parker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parker in America

Parker is the 56th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parker surname appeared 336,221 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 114 people would have the surname Parker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parker 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 Parker

The surname Parker has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "parc," meaning an enclosed area or park of land, which in turn comes from the Latin "parricus." This suggests that the original bearers of the name were either those who worked in or lived near a park or enclosed area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where a Robert le Parker is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, with references to individuals such as Walter le Parker in Oxfordshire and Robert le Parker in Buckinghamshire.

During the Middle Ages, the Parker surname was particularly prevalent in regions like Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. Some early spellings of the name included Parkere, Parkar, and Parkur, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in those times.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain direct references to the Parker surname, as it primarily recorded landholders and placenames. However, it does mention places like Parker's Corner in Wiltshire and Parker's Farm in Hampshire, which may have influenced the eventual adoption of the surname in those areas.

Notable individuals with the Parker surname throughout history include:

1. Thomas Parker (c. 1595-1677), an English explorer and colonial leader who served as the first governor of the Province of Avalon in Newfoundland.
2. Sir Hyde Parker (1739-1807), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Battle of Copenhagen during the Napoleonic Wars.
3. Theodore Parker (1810-1860), an American transcendentalist and reforming minister who was a prominent abolitionist and advocate for women's rights.
4. Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), an American writer, poet, and satirist known for her witty and incisive writing, particularly in her contributions to The New Yorker magazine.
5. Charlie Parker (1920-1955), an influential American jazz saxophonist and composer, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the bebop style of jazz.

The Parker surname has a long and diverse history, originating from humble beginnings as a descriptor of those associated with enclosed areas or parks, eventually becoming a widespread surname across England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parker

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Parker, 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!