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

Parkerson, 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 Parkerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parkerson in America

Parkerson is the 14252nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parkerson surname appeared 2,103 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Parkerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parkerson 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 Parkerson

The surname Parkerson is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the old English words "parke" and "son," which together mean "son of the park keeper." This name likely originated in areas where royal or noble families maintained large estates with parks and employed individuals to oversee and maintain these grounds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Parkerson can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Lewisham, Kent, where a certain John Parkerson was baptized in 1598. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 16th century in the southern regions of England.

In the early 17th century, the Parkerson name appears in various legal documents and court records, particularly in the counties of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. Notable examples include a Richard Parkerson, who was listed as a landowner in the Kent Feet of Fines from 1623, and a William Parkerson, who was involved in a property dispute in the Sussex Assize Rolls of 1638.

As the name spread across England, variations in spelling emerged, such as Parkison, Parkinson, and Perkerson. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of record-keeping during that era.

One of the earliest prominent figures bearing the Parkerson name was Sir John Parkerson (1612-1678), a English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Lichfield during the reign of King Charles II. He was known for his staunch support of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

Another notable individual was Thomas Parkerson (1685-1752), a renowned architect from Yorkshire who contributed to the design and construction of several grand country houses in the Georgian style, including Wentworth Woodhouse and Harewood House.

In the 19th century, the Parkerson name gained recognition through the works of the poet and essayist Elizabeth Parkerson (1822-1891), whose collection of romantic verses and nature-inspired writings garnered critical acclaim during the Victorian era.

Another distinguished figure was Sir Henry Parkerson (1848-1923), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions and made significant contributions to the mapping and charting of the Northwest Passage.

The Parkerson family name also has a connection to the world of sports, with the celebrated English cricketer Alfred Parkerson (1878-1946) being one of the most notable bearers of the name. He played for the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and was regarded as one of the finest all-rounders of his time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parkerson

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

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

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

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