2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Parsh
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or occupational term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Parsh. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parsh 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Parsh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parsh
The surname Parsh has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "parse," which means "to separate" or "to divide." This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or trade that involved separating or dividing materials or goods.
During the medieval period, the name Parsh was found in various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern and central parts of the country. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the town records of Augsburg, dating back to 1523, where a certain Hans Parsh is mentioned as a merchant dealing in textiles.
In the 17th century, the name Parsh can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where several families with this surname resided. One notable individual from this period was Johann Parsh, a skilled clockmaker who was born in Nuremberg in 1642 and passed away in 1712.
The Parsh name also appeared in other parts of Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1781, a Peter Parsh is recorded as having emigrated from Germany to the American colonies, settling in Pennsylvania. This suggests that the name had begun to spread beyond the borders of Germany during this time.
Another notable figure with the surname Parsh was Friedrich Parsh, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1791 to 1867. He was known for his works on ethics and morality, and his ideas influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 19th century, the name Parsh was also found in parts of Austria and Switzerland, indicating the movement of families bearing this surname across different regions. One such individual was Katharina Parsh, an Austrian poet and author who was born in 1832 and died in 1901.
Throughout its history, the surname Parsh has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, artisans, and intellectuals. While the exact origin of the name remains uncertain, its linguistic roots and historical records provide insight into the cultural and geographic journey of this surname over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parsh
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Parsh 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 Parsh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.2% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parsh
Parsh 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+13 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,768 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 3,768 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,081 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 Parsh 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 | #141,140 | #147,221 | -4.3% |
| Count | 118 | 113 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parsh bearers went from 118 to 113 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,221.
FAQ
Parsh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parsh?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Parsh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Parsh?
Parsh ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Parsh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Parsh.
Has Parsh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parsh went from 118 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Parsh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Parsh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parsh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Parsh (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 Parsh mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or occupational term. 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 Parsh (0.04 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 surname Parsh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.