2000
#13,838
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Parvin
An English surname derived from the Old French personal name Pervin, of uncertain origin and meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,027 Americans carry the last name Parvin. That puts it at #11,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parvin 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 Parvin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,232
Census rank
#11,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,640 bearers of the surname Parvin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parvin
The surname Parvin is of Persian origin, derived from the Persian word "parvin" meaning "pleiades" or "the constellation of the seven stars." It is believed to have originated in the region of Persia (modern-day Iran) sometime during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Parvin can be traced back to the 12th century, where it appears in various Persian literary works and historical records. One notable mention is in the poetry of the renowned Persian poet, Hafez, who lived from 1315 to 1390.
In the 13th century, the name Parvin is found in the writings of the Persian mathematician and astronomer, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274). He was a prominent figure in the court of the Ilkhanid ruler, Hulagu Khan, and is known for his contributions to the development of trigonometry and the establishment of the Maragheh observatory.
During the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736), the name Parvin was associated with several notable figures, including the poet Parvin Etesami (1907-1941), who is considered one of the most influential female writers in Persian literature. Her works often explored themes of women's rights and social justice.
Another prominent individual with the surname Parvin was Mohammad Parvin Gonabadi (1868-1940), a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual leader from the city of Gonabad, Iran. He was known for his teachings on the unity of all religions and his promotion of peace and harmony.
In the realm of Persian classical music, the name Parvin is closely associated with the renowned singer and musician, Parvin Banan (1939-2020). She was celebrated for her mastery of the traditional Persian musical style known as "Avaz" and her contributions to preserving and promoting Persian cultural heritage.
While the surname Parvin is predominantly found in Iran and among Persian diaspora communities, it has also been adopted by individuals of non-Persian descent, particularly in regions with historical ties to the Persian Empire or cultural influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parvin
Among Census respondents with the surname Parvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Parvin 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 Parvin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.8% · 1,499
- Asian and Pacific Islander36.9% · 973
- Two or more races2.9% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 13
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parvin
Parvin 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
#12,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,449
+445 bearers (+22.2%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 1,201 places
2020
#11,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,640
+191 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 1,228 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,838 | 2,004 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,637 | 2,449 | 0.83 | +445 bearers (+22.2%) | Up 1,201 places |
| 2020 | #11,409 | 2,640 | 0.88 | +191 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 1,228 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 Parvin 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 | #12,637 | #11,409 | 9.7% |
| Count | 2,449 | 2,640 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.88 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parvin bearers went from 2,449 to 2,640 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 1,228 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,637 to #11,409.
FAQ
Parvin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parvin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,027 living Americans carry the surname Parvin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,232 residents.
How common is Parvin?
Parvin ranks #11,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,640 people with the surname Parvin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Parvin.
Has Parvin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parvin went from 2,449 recorded bearers to 2,640. That is an increase of 191 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,637 to #11,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Parvin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%) 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 Parvin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.8% (1,499 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parvin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%), 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 Parvin (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 Parvin mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French personal name Pervin, of uncertain origin and meaning. 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 Parvin (0.88 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 share the surname Parvin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.