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

Parmer, 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 Parmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parmer in America

Parmer is the 6716th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parmer surname appeared 5,029 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 Parmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parmer 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 Parmer

The surname Parmer is an English occupational name that originated from the Old French word "parmenter," meaning a maker or seller of embroidered accessories. This name traces its roots back to the 12th century, when it first appeared in England during the Norman Conquest.

The earliest recorded instance of the Parmer surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where one Robert le Parmunter is mentioned. Over the centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Parmonter, Parmunter, and Parmiter. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where many families with this occupation lived.

One notable historical figure bearing the Parmer surname was Sir Thomas Parmer (1508-1579), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Nottinghamshire. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1566 and was a prominent figure in the city's trade and commerce. Another distinguished individual was Robert Parmer (1633-1702), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 16th century, the Parmer surname can be found in the parish records of Wragby, Lincolnshire, with the entry of Christopher Parmer's marriage in 1582. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674, which recorded households in various counties, including those of John Parmer in Lincolnshire and William Parmer in Yorkshire.

A notable place name associated with the Parmer surname is Parmenter Street in London's Clerkenwell district, which likely derived its name from the presence of embroiderers and makers of embroidered goods in the area during the medieval period. Additionally, the village of Parmer in Oxfordshire, England, may have some connection to the surname, although the exact origin of the place name is uncertain.

Other individuals with the Parmer surname who left their mark on history include John Parmer (1704-1782), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and Elizabeth Parmer (1718-1799), a celebrated author and poet whose works were widely published during the 18th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parmer

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

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

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

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