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

Purdom, 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 Purdom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purdom in America

Purdom is the 18184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purdom surname appeared 1,530 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 Purdom.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purdom 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 Purdom

The surname Purdom originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "purde" and "ham," meaning "stream" and "homestead" respectively, suggesting that the name originally referred to a homestead or settlement near a stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Purdeham." This spelling variation highlights the name's connection to a specific place or location.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where it was written as "Purdham," and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1332, where it was spelled "Purdam."

The Purdom surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a renowned medieval manuscript that recorded landholdings across England. This early reference provides further evidence of the name's longstanding presence in the country.

Among notable individuals with the surname Purdom throughout history are:

1. John Purdom (c. 1500 - 1557), an English priest and scholar who served as the Dean of Norwich Cathedral from 1549 until his death.
2. Richard Purdom (1629 - 1695), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester in the late 17th century.
3. William Purdom (1751 - 1822), a Scottish merchant and plantation owner who established successful businesses in the West Indies.
4. Elizabeth Purdom (1785 - 1872), an English writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and education during the 19th century.
5. James Purdom (1892 - 1964), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1938 to 1944.

The surname Purdom has also been associated with various place names, such as Purdom Green in Hertfordshire, England, and Purdom Farm in Worcestershire, further emphasizing its connection to specific locations within the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purdom

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

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

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

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