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

Purdon, 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 Purdon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purdon in America

Purdon is the 38050th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purdon surname appeared 583 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Purdon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purdon 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 Purdon

The surname Purdon is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "pure" and "dun," meaning "pure hill" or "clean hill." It is thought to have been a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill with a clean or pure appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire, a census-like record from 1273. This document mentions a person named Richard de Puredone, indicating the use of the name in medieval England.

The Purdon surname appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire in the Middle Ages. Several variations of the spelling existed, including Purdone, Pureden, and Purdun, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that period.

In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the Purdon name was John Purdon, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in trade with Ireland. Records show that he was born around 1520 and died in 1588.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Purdon, a military officer who served in the English Civil War. Born in 1610 in Gloucestershire, he fought on the Royalist side and was knighted for his service in 1644. He died in 1670.

In the 18th century, the Purdon name appeared in various records in Ireland, suggesting that some members of the family had migrated there. One such individual was William Purdon, a prominent lawyer and judge who was born in County Longford in 1734 and died in 1811.

The Purdon surname also has connections to the United States. In the late 18th century, Richard Purdon emigrated from Ireland to Philadelphia, where he became a respected printer and publisher. He was born in 1756 and died in 1831.

Another notable figure was John Purdon, an Irish-born military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in County Down in 1748 and fought alongside the Continental Army before his death in 1816.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Purdon surname throughout history, highlighting its origins in England and its spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purdon

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

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

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

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