2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pary
A variant spelling of the English surname Perry, derived from the Old French perie, meaning "pear tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Pary. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pary 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 Pary with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Pary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pary, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Black (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pary
The surname PARY is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "paré," which means "prepared" or "ready." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was prepared or ready for a particular task or duty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PARY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and taxable wealth in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Paree" and "Parye," indicating its French roots.
During the 13th century, the PARY surname was prevalent in the region of Normandy, France. Records from this time show individuals bearing the name in villages and towns across the area. One notable example is Jean PARY, a landowner in the village of Bayeux, who was born around 1230.
As the surname spread throughout Europe, it underwent different spelling variations due to regional dialects and transcription errors. In England, for instance, the name was sometimes spelled as "Parry" or "Perry." One notable bearer of this variation was Sir William PARRY, a Welsh courtier and explorer who lived from 1542 to 1585.
In the 16th century, the PARY surname also appeared in Italy, where it was sometimes rendered as "Pari." A prominent figure with this name was Giovanni PARI, a renowned architect and sculptor who lived from 1520 to 1588 and contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in Rome.
Another notable individual with the PARY surname was Pierre PARY, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1598 to 1668. He was widely respected for his scholarly works on metaphysics and ethics, which influenced intellectual discourse during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the PARY surname gained prominence in Germany, where it was often spelled as "Parey." One notable bearer of this variation was Johann Friedrich PAREY, a German surgeon and obstetrician who lived from 1766 to 1848. He made significant contributions to the field of obstetrics and authored several influential medical texts.
Throughout history, the PARY surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from landowners and scholars to artisans and military personnel. Its enduring presence across multiple regions and countries serves as a testament to its rich cultural heritage and the diverse backgrounds of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pary
Among Census respondents with the surname Pary, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Black (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pary 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 Pary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.0% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino23.4% · 26
- Black or African American5.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pary
Pary 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+13 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,930 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-25 bearers (-18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 1,930 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-18.4%) | Down 22,647 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 Pary 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 | #126,018 | #148,665 | -18.0% |
| Count | 136 | 111 | -18.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pary bearers went from 136 to 111 (-18.4% change). The surname moved down 22,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #148,665.
FAQ
Pary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pary?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Pary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Pary?
Pary ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Pary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Pary.
Has Pary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pary went from 136 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 25 (-18.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Pary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pary, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Black (5.4%). 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 Pary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.0% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.0%), Hispanic (23.4%), Black (5.4%). 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 Pary (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 Pary mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Perry, derived from the Old French perie, meaning "pear tree". 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 Pary (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 Pary?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.