2000
#11,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,608
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Parkins
Derived from the medieval personal name Parkin, which is a diminutive of Peter, meaning "little Peter" or "son of Peter."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,923 Americans carry the last name Parkins. That puts it at #11,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,261 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parkins surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Parkins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,261
Census rank
#11,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,549 bearers of the surname Parkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parkins
The surname Parkins is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is a locational name derived from places called Parkin or Perkin, with the addition of the suffix "-s" to denote ownership or association. These place names are thought to have evolved from the Old English words "pearroc" or "pearruc," meaning "a small enclosed space or paddock."
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Parkyn, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. The Hundred Rolls of Norfolk from 1275 also mention a Thomas Perkyn. These early records provide evidence of the name's existence and its varying spellings in medieval times.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries that may have contributed to the formation of the Parkins surname. For instance, the village of Perching in Sussex and the manor of Parvinge in Hertfordshire are mentioned, both of which could be related to the name's etymology.
Notable historical figures with the surname Parkins include Sir Thomas Parkins (1515-1591), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was Robert Parkins (1613-1673), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological subjects.
John Parkins (1567-1638) was an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of King James I. His works include sacred and secular music compositions.
In the 18th century, William Parkins (1721-1793) was a renowned English engraver and artist known for his etchings and mezzotints, particularly those depicting portraits and landscapes.
The name Parkins has also been associated with various places in England, such as Parkins Ghyll in West Yorkshire, a small valley named after the family who owned land in the area. Additionally, the village of Perkins in Warwickshire may have derived its name from the Parkins surname or vice versa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Parkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Parkins bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Parkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 1,997
- Black or African American12.1% · 309
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 127
- Two or more races3.4% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parkins
Parkins appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,679
+71 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 539 places
2020
#11,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,549
-130 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,158 | 2,608 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,697 | 2,679 | 0.91 | +71 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 539 places |
| 2020 | #11,755 | 2,549 | 0.85 | -130 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 58 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Parkins surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,697 | #11,755 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,679 | 2,549 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.85 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parkins bearers went from 2,679 to 2,549 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,697 to #11,755.
FAQ
Parkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parkins?
Name Census estimates that about 2,923 living Americans carry the surname Parkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,261 residents.
How common is Parkins?
Parkins ranks #11,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,549 people with the surname Parkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,923), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Parkins.
Has Parkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parkins went from 2,679 recorded bearers to 2,549. That is a decrease of 130 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,697 to #11,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Parkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Hispanic (5.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Parkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (1,997 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Black (12.1%), Hispanic (5.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Parkins (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Parkins mean?
Derived from the medieval personal name Parkin, which is a diminutive of Peter, meaning "little Peter" or "son of Peter." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Parkins (0.85 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Parkins?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.