2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Parli
A surname referring to Italian speakers or immigrants from Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Parli. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parli 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.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Parli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parli, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parli
The surname Parli has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "parlare," which means "to speak," suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with someone who was particularly eloquent or verbose.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Parli name appears in a medieval document from the town of Lucca, dated 1278, where a certain "Guido Parli" is mentioned as a landowner. This indicates that the name was well-established in the region during that time period.
In the 14th century, the Parli family gained prominence in the city of Florence, where they were involved in the lucrative textile trade. A notable figure from this era was Giovanni Parli (1325-1392), a successful merchant and banker who served as a financial advisor to the powerful Medici family.
During the Renaissance, the Parli name continued to be associated with influential individuals. In the 16th century, a certain Antonio Parli (1490-1568) was a renowned architect who contributed to the design of several iconic buildings in Florence, including the Palazzo Pitti.
The name Parli also has connections to the world of literature. In the 17th century, a poet and playwright named Giacomo Parli (1610-1678) gained recognition for his works, which were inspired by the classical traditions of ancient Greece and Rome.
Another notable figure was Carlo Parli (1755-1832), a military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks and was eventually awarded the prestigious Légion d'Honneur for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
As the Parli family spread throughout Italy and beyond, various spelling variations emerged, such as Parlie, Parlini, and Parloni. These variations often reflected regional dialects or personal preferences, but they all traced their origins back to the original Parli surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parli
Among Census respondents with the surname Parli, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Parli 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 Parli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parli
Parli 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-22 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,609 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 27,609 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 758 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 Parli 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 | #147,253 | #146,495 | 0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 114 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parli bearers went from 112 to 114 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 758 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #146,495.
FAQ
Parli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parli?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Parli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Parli?
Parli ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Parli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Parli.
Has Parli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parli went from 112 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Parli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parli, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Parli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Parli (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 Parli mean?
A surname referring to Italian speakers or immigrants from Italy. 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 Parli (0.04 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 Parli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.