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

Purefoy, 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 Purefoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purefoy in America

Purefoy is the 80926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purefoy surname appeared 234 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 Purefoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purefoy 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 Purefoy

The surname Purefoy originated in Normandy, France in the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French words "pur" meaning pure and "foi" meaning faith, essentially translating to "pure faith." The name likely referred to someone of unwavering religious devotion during the era of the Norman Conquest of England.

The earliest known record of the Purefoy name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. It lists a landowner named Roger Purefoy in Leicestershire, England. This suggests that the name was brought to England by Norman settlers after the invasion in 1066.

In the 12th century, the Purefoy family established themselves as lords of the manor in the village of Shalstone, Buckinghamshire. The name is closely associated with this area, as evidenced by the nearby hamlet of Purefoy's Green and the Purefoy Manor House, which still stands today.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Sir Richard Purefoy, born around 1390. He fought alongside Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.

Another notable figure was William Purefoy (1572-1659), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Coventry during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Parliamentarian and supported the execution of King Charles I.

In the 17th century, the Purefoy family gained prominence in Ireland through Colonel George Purefoy (1610-1677). He was an officer in the Parliamentarian army and later became Governor of County Tipperary after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

During the 18th century, Edward Purefoy (1756-1824) was a celebrated British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He attained the rank of Admiral and was granted a baronetcy for his distinguished service.

Throughout its history, the Purefoy surname has maintained a strong association with nobility, military service, and political involvement, reflecting its origins as a name bestowed upon individuals of unwavering faith and devotion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purefoy

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

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

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

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