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

Pharr, 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 Pharr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pharr in America

Pharr is the 8834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pharr surname appeared 3,709 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pharr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pharr 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 Pharr

The surname Pharr has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "faer," which means a journey or passage. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a ferry crossing or traveled frequently.

One of the earliest known references to the name Pharr can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a historical record compiled in 1273. The document mentions a person named Richard Farer, which is likely an earlier spelling variation of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Farer, Farrer, and Farror, across different regions of England. These spelling variations were common during that period due to the lack of standardized English spelling.

The Pharr surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Farer's Green in Buckinghamshire and Farer's Field in Oxfordshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the Pharr surname residing or owning land in those areas.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the Pharr surname include:

1. William Pharr (1575-1644), an English merchant and member of the Virginia Company who played a role in the early colonization of Virginia.
2. John Pharr (1679-1737), a Scottish immigrant to America who settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful farmer and landowner.
3. Elizabeth Pharr (1820-1901), an American educator and founder of the Pharr Collegiate Institute in Georgia, which was one of the first schools for women in the state.
4. Thomas Pharr (1856-1932), an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Greenville, South Carolina, from 1899 to 1903.
5. Robert Pharr (1911-1997), an American author and literary critic who taught at the University of Texas at Austin and wrote extensively on Southern literature.

While the Pharr surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. However, the earliest records and historical references to the name can be traced back to the British Isles, highlighting its rich and diverse origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pharr

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

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

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

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