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

Parks, 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 Parks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parks in America

Parks is the 354th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parks surname appeared 88,586 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 30 people would have the surname Parks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parks 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 Parks

The surname PARKS is an English habitational name derived from the Old English word 'pearroc' meaning an enclosed area or park. It originated in regions of England where deer parks were prevalent, such as Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire.

The earliest known record of the surname PARKS dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it appears as 'de Parco'. This Latin form translates to 'of the park', indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a deer park.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several places with the word 'park' or 'parcus' in their names, suggesting that the surname may have derived from these locations. Some examples include Parcus Regis (King's Park) in Gloucestershire and Parcus de Windresore (Windsor Park) in Berkshire.

During the medieval period, the PARKS surname was often associated with individuals who held positions related to the management or maintenance of royal or noble parks and hunting grounds. One notable example is Sir William PARKS (c. 1472-1539), who served as the Master of the Game and Keeper of the Park at Windsor Castle under King Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, the surname PARKS appeared in various spellings, such as Parkes, Parke, and Parck. One prominent figure from this era was Reynolde PARKS (c. 1510-1579), a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions under Queen Mary I.

Other notable individuals with the PARKS surname include:

1. Gordon PARKS (1912-2006), an American photographer, filmmaker, and writer known for his groundbreaking work in documenting the Civil Rights Movement.
2. Rosa PARKS (1913-2005), an African American civil rights activist famous for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
3. Walter PARKS (1863-1915), an English cricketer who played for Surrey and captained the England national team.
4. Henry Flagler PARKS (1842-1909), an American businessman and co-founder of the Standard Oil Company, working alongside John D. Rockefeller.
5. William PARKS (c. 1635-1696), an English colonist and one of the founders of the Woodbridge Township in New Jersey, United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parks

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

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

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

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