2000
#2,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,977
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.44
Uncommon Last name
Parris
A locational surname derived from the French city of Paris, originally denoting a person who came from there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,030 Americans carry the last name Parris. That puts it at #2,872 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,430 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parris 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Parris with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,430
Census rank
#2,872
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,235 bearers of the surname Parris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2872nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parris, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (26.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parris
The surname Parris is of English origin, derived from the French word "parra," meaning a small enclosed area or park. It is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name was initially associated with individuals who lived near or worked in enclosed parks or estates. It may have been used as an occupational surname for those employed as park keepers or groundskeepers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a "Robert de Parris." This suggests that the name was already in use in the 12th century.
The Parris surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which contains records of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The name is listed as "Parres," which is likely an early spelling variation.
During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a "William de Parris." This indicates the name's widespread use across different regions of England.
Notable individuals with the surname Parris throughout history include Samuel Parris (1653-1720), a Puritan minister in Salem, Massachusetts, who played a significant role in the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693.
Another prominent figure was John Parris (1567-1635), an English composer and organist who served as the Master of the Choristers at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Sir Walter Parris (1571-1622) was an English merchant and diplomat who served as the first English ambassador to the Mughal Empire in India during the reign of King James I.
John Parris (1765-1849) was a noted English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Guildhall in York and the Theatre Royal in Bath.
Lastly, John Parris (1776-1849) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 22nd Governor of Massachusetts from 1822 to 1827.
The Parris surname has undergone various spelling variations over time, including Paris, Parres, and Parry. It is also associated with certain place names, such as Parris Island in South Carolina, which was named after Alexander Parris, a prominent landowner in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parris
Among Census respondents with the surname Parris, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (26.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Parris 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 Parris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.2% · 7,615
- Black or African American26.0% · 3,176
- Two or more races5.2% · 635
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 615
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 84
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parris
Parris 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
#2,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,710
+733 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 4.31
Rank movement Down 75 places
2020
#2,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,235
-475 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 4.09
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,764 | 11,977 | 4.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,839 | 12,710 | 4.31 | +733 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 75 places |
| 2020 | #2,872 | 12,235 | 4.09 | -475 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 33 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 Parris 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 | #2,839 | #2,872 | -1.2% |
| Count | 12,710 | 12,235 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.31 | 4.09 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parris bearers went from 12,710 to 12,235 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,839 to #2,872.
FAQ
Parris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parris?
Name Census estimates that about 14,030 living Americans carry the surname Parris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,430 residents.
How common is Parris?
Parris ranks #2,872 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,235 people with the surname Parris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,030), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Parris.
Has Parris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parris went from 12,710 recorded bearers to 12,235. That is a decrease of 475 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,839 to #2,872.
What does the Census say about the background of Parris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parris, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (26.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Parris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (7,615 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.2%), Black (26.0%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Parris (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 Parris mean?
A locational surname derived from the French city of Paris, originally denoting a person who came from there. 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 Parris (4.09 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 common is the surname Parris?
Find out how many people have the surname Parris on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.