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

Parms, 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 Parms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parms in America

Parms is the 91981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parms surname appeared 200 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Parms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parms 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 Parms

The surname PARMS is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be a derivative of the Old English word "pearroc," which referred to a small enclosed area or enclosure for livestock. This suggests that the name may have been occupational in origin, denoting someone who worked as a keeper or tender of such enclosures.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Clapham, Bedfordshire, where the baptism of a child named John Parms was recorded in 1592. There is also a record of a Thomas Parms appearing in the 1601 Pipe Rolls of Sussex, indicating that the name had spread to other parts of England by the early 17th century.

In the late 17th century, the surname appears in the Hearth Tax records of Warwickshire, where a William Parms is listed as a landowner in the village of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1672. This connection to Shakespeare's birthplace is noteworthy, though there is no evidence to suggest any direct connection between the Bard and this particular individual.

As the centuries progressed, the name continued to appear in various records throughout England, with some variations in spelling, such as Parmes, Parmse, and Parmys. One notable individual bearing this surname was Sir Edward Parms (1721-1788), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who left a significant portion of his fortune to establish a school for underprivileged children in the city.

Another individual of note was Samuel Parms (1793-1867), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Yorkshire. He is credited with discovering and documenting several previously unknown plant species in the Yorkshire Dales, and his extensive collection of specimens and field notes are preserved at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.

In the 19th century, the PARMS surname also found its way to the United States, with records showing immigrants bearing the name arriving from England and settling in various parts of the country. One such individual was John Parms (1824-1902), who emigrated from Lincolnshire and became a successful farmer in Ohio, passing his land and legacy on to his descendants.

The name PARMS, while not among the most common surnames, has left its mark on history through the accomplishments and contributions of various individuals over the centuries. Its origins rooted in the rural landscapes of England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carrying with it a rich tapestry of stories and legacies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parms

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!