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

Parr, 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 Parr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parr in America

Parr is the 2239th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parr surname appeared 16,286 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Parr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parr 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 Parr

The surname Parr originates from the Old English pre 7th century word "pearroc" meaning a small enclosed area or park. The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and first emerged in England during the medieval period.

The earliest known recordings of the surname Parr date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The name is believed to have derived from various place names across England such as Parre in Somerset, Parr in Lancashire, and Parr in Shropshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Parr was William Parr, who was born in 1434 in Kendal, Westmorland, England. He served as a Member of Parliament for Westmorland in 1461 and was also a prominent landowner in the region.

Catherine Parr, born in 1512 and died in 1548, was perhaps the most famous individual with this surname. She was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England and is renowned for her role in promoting the English Reformation and her advocacy for religious tolerance.

Sir William Parr, born in 1484 and died in 1547, was the younger brother of Catherine Parr and served as a prominent courtier and military commander during the reign of Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was appointed as the first Marquess of Northampton in 1547.

Another notable individual with the surname Parr was Richard Parr, born in 1617 and died in 1691. He was an English politician and served as a Member of Parliament for Bridport in Dorset during the 17th century.

Thomas Parr, born in 1483 and died in 1635, is often referred to as "Old Parr" and is believed to have been one of the longest-lived individuals in recorded history, allegedly reaching the age of 152 years. While the exact details of his life are disputed, he gained fame in his later years and was even presented to King Charles I.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parr

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Parr, 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!