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

Parkhurst, 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 Parkhurst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parkhurst in America

Parkhurst is the 6024th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parkhurst surname appeared 5,708 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 Parkhurst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parkhurst 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 Parkhurst

The surname Parkhurst is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "pearroc" meaning park or enclosure, and "hyrst" meaning a wooded hill or hillock. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned a wooded enclosure or park on a hill.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known record of the name appears as "Parhurste" in Hampshire, England. This early spelling variation highlights the locational nature of the name, referring to a specific place called Parkhurst.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Roger de Parkhurst, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. Another early reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where a William de Parkhurst is listed.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was also associated with several places in England, such as Parkhurst in the Isle of Wight, Parkhurst in Dorset, and Parkhurst Forest in Hampshire. These place names likely contributed to the widespread use of the surname in different regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Parkhurst include:

1. John Parkhurst (c. 1511-1578), an English bishop and scholar who served as the Bishop of Norwich.
2. Nathaniel Parkhurst (1713-1797), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
3. Henry Parkhurst (1778-1856), an English naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Admiral.
4. John Adelbert Parkhurst (1861-1925), an American inventor and businessman best known for developing the first practical electric oven.
5. Helen Parkhurst (1887-1973), an American educator and pioneer of the Dalton Plan, an influential educational philosophy emphasizing student independence and self-directed learning.

The surname Parkhurst continues to be found in various regions of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries where descendants of early bearers have migrated over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parkhurst

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

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

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

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