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

Purcell, 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 Purcell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purcell in America

Purcell is the 1599th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purcell surname appeared 22,383 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Purcell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purcell 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 Purcell

The surname Purcell has its origins in Norman France and is derived from the Old French words "porcelle" or "pourcelet", meaning a young pig or piglet. When the Normans invaded England in 1066, they brought their surnames with them, and Purcell became an English surname.

The name Purcell was first found in counties like Shropshire and Staffordshire, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in the 13th and 14th centuries. One of the earliest references to the name is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Purcel".

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name appears as "Porcellus", referring to someone who tended pigs or came from a place associated with pigs. This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname or a topographic name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Purcell was Hugh Purcell, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1205. Another early bearer of the name was Robert Purcell, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279.

The name Purcell has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Henry Purcell (1659-1695), an English composer who is considered one of the greatest Baroque composers of his time.

Another notable Purcell was John Purcell (1599-1665), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. There was also John Purcell (1782-1853), an Irish politician and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Edward Purcell (1689-1756) was an English actor and playwright who wrote several popular plays in the early 18th century. Andrew Pickens Purcell (1819-1894) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a judge and member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

The surname Purcell has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Purcel, Pursell, Pursill, and Puckle. It has also been associated with several place names, such as Pursill Green in Staffordshire and Pursall Green in Cheshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purcell

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

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

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

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