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

Parson, 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 Parson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Parson in America

Parson is the 2727th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Parson surname appeared 13,209 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Parson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Parson 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 Parson

The surname Parson is an English surname derived from the Middle English word "persone," which was used to refer to a member of the clergy or a parish priest. The name originated in England during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Parson date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a person named William Persone.

The surname Parson is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, given to individuals who served as parish priests or clergymen. In medieval times, priests and clergymen often took on surnames related to their occupation or position within the church.

One notable historical figure with the surname Parson was Robert Parson (c. 1546-1610), an English Jesuit priest and writer. He played a significant role in the Catholic mission to England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and was a prominent figure in the efforts to re-establish Catholicism in the country.

Another individual of note was James Parsons (1705-1770), an English mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was a member of the Royal Society.

In the 18th century, Sir William Parsons (1701-1767) was an Irish politician and landowner who served as the Surveyor General of Ireland and played a crucial role in the development of the city of Dublin.

John Parsons (1761-1819) was an American jurist and statesman who served as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 to 1819.

Sir Charles Parsons (1854-1931) was a British engineer and inventor best known for his development of the modern steam turbine, which revolutionized power generation and propulsion systems in ships and industry.

While the surname Parson has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. The name can be found in various spellings, such as Parsons, Parsonns, and Parsonns, reflecting regional variations and changes over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Parson

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

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

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

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