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

Purdie, 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 Purdie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purdie in America

Purdie is the 14184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purdie surname appeared 2,117 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 Purdie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purdie 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 Purdie

The surname Purdie has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the place name Pardieu, a small village near Linlithgow, West Lothian. The name is thought to be a variant of the French phrase "par Dieu" meaning "by God" or "by Heaven".

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the Scottish records from 1507, where a John Purdie is listed as a tenant in the village of Pardieu. The name appears to have been concentrated in the regions of West Lothian, Midlothian, and East Lothian during its early history.

The variant spelling "Pardew" was also used in some instances, reflecting the potential French influence on the name's origin. Another spelling variation, "Purdew," was found in the records of the Parish of Liberton near Edinburgh in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name began to spread more widely across Scotland, with families bearing the surname appearing in records from various regions, including Fife, Lanarkshire, and Aberdeenshire.

One notable individual with the Purdie surname was John Purdie (1773-1857), a Scottish gardener and plant collector who worked for the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. He was responsible for introducing several new plant species to Britain from his travels in North America.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Purdie (1842-1909), a Scottish businessman and Member of Parliament who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1900 to 1903.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Purdie family settled in Ireland, where the name is also found, particularly in County Down and County Antrim.

Other notable individuals with the Purdie surname include:

1. Robert Purdie (1810-1888), a Scottish-born Australian businessman and politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

2. William Purdie (1784-1853), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.

3. James Purdie (1840-1915), a Scottish-born Canadian journalist and editor who co-founded the Edmonton Bulletin newspaper in Alberta.

4. Alexander Purdie (1755-1818), a Scottish-born printer and publisher who established one of the earliest printing businesses in Charleston, South Carolina.

5. Thomas Purdie (1796-1865), a Scottish-born civil engineer who worked on various infrastructure projects in Canada, including the construction of the Rideau Canal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purdie

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

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

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

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