2000
#20,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,186
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Parsell
An English surname derived from the Old French "parcelle" meaning a small plot of land or parcel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,469 Americans carry the last name Parsell. That puts it at #20,879 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 233,325 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parsell 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 Parsell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 233,325
Census rank
#20,879
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,281 bearers of the surname Parsell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20879th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parsell
The surname Parsell is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "perse" and "hyll," meaning "green hill." It is believed to have originated in the 13th century, with early records showing various spellings such as Pershill, Pershull, and Persehyll.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "William de Pershulle." This document was a census-like survey conducted during the reign of King Edward I, suggesting that the Parsell name had already been established by that time.
The Parsell family is thought to have originated in the counties of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where they were likely landowners or resided near a prominent green hill. In the 16th century, the name appeared in the parish records of Eversholt, Bedfordshire, with the baptism of Margarett Parsell in 1584.
A notable figure bearing the Parsell surname was John Parsell (1586-1661), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, during the English Civil War era. He was a vocal supporter of the Parliamentarian cause and served as a judge during the trial of King Charles I.
Another historical figure was Reverend James Parsell (1634-1704), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Stanlake in Oxfordshire. He wrote several theological works, including "A Treatise on the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper" published in 1688.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various records, such as the baptism of William Parsell in 1721 in the parish of Wootton, Bedfordshire, and the marriage of John Parsell and Mary Scrivener in 1733 in the parish of Cheddington, Buckinghamshire.
The Parsell family also had connections to Scotland, with records showing a William Parsell born in Leith, Scotland, around 1780. He later immigrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, where he worked as a merchant.
Another notable figure was Sir John Parsell (1823-1901), a British businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He served as the Mayor of Bradford, Yorkshire, and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1887 for his charitable contributions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parsell
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Parsell 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 Parsell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 1,175
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 38
- Two or more races2.9% · 37
- Black or African American1.0% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parsell
Parsell 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
#22,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,117
-69 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 2,179 places
2020
#20,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,281
+164 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 2,027 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,727 | 1,186 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,906 | 1,117 | 0.38 | -69 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 2,179 places |
| 2020 | #20,879 | 1,281 | 0.43 | +164 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 2,027 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 Parsell 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 | #22,906 | #20,879 | 8.8% |
| Count | 1,117 | 1,281 | 14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.43 | 12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parsell bearers went from 1,117 to 1,281 (+14.7% change). The surname moved up 2,027 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,906 to #20,879.
FAQ
Parsell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parsell?
Name Census estimates that about 1,469 living Americans carry the surname Parsell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 233,325 residents.
How common is Parsell?
Parsell ranks #20,879 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 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 1,281 people with the surname Parsell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,469), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 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 Parsell.
Has Parsell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parsell went from 1,117 recorded bearers to 1,281. That is an increase of 164 (+14.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,906 to #20,879.
What does the Census say about the background of Parsell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Parsell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (1,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parsell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Parsell (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 Parsell mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French "parcelle" meaning a small plot of land or parcel. 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 Parsell (0.43 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 have the last name Parsell?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Parsell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.