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

Parsley, 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 Parsley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parsley in America

Parsley is the 5508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parsley surname appeared 6,315 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Parsley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parsley 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 Parsley

The surname Parsley is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "persill," which referred to the herb parsley. It likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who grew or traded in parsley, or perhaps lived near an area where parsley was cultivated.

Records show the name appearing as early as the 13th century in various parts of England, with early spellings including Perselee, Parselye, and Perseley. One of the earliest known bearers was Robert Parselye, mentioned in tax records from Yorkshire in 1297.

In the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, there is a reference to a Hugo Persely, indicating the name's presence in that region during the medieval period. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a William Parsely.

The surname Parsley can be found in several early manuscripts and records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name in Wiltshire. This suggests the name may have derived from a particular location associated with parsley cultivation.

Notable historical figures bearing the Parsley surname include Sir John Parsley (1545-1617), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. Another notable bearer was Robert Parsley (1612-1679), an English clergyman and author of several religious works.

In the 18th century, William Parsley (1742-1827) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Anne and St. Agnes in Gresham Street.

During the Victorian era, Charles Parsley (1848-1918) was a British artist known for his landscapes and rural scenes, while John Parsley (1870-1952) was a noted English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.

Throughout history, the Parsley surname has been present in various regions of England, particularly in areas where parsley cultivation or trade was prominent, such as Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, and Sussex.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parsley

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

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

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

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