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

Purifoy, 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 Purifoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purifoy in America

Purifoy is the 12389th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purifoy surname appeared 2,511 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 Purifoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purifoy 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 Purifoy

The surname Purifoy originates from England, and its earliest recorded use dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French words "pur" meaning "pure" and "foi" meaning "faith," suggesting a connection to religious or moral purity.

The name was initially found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Worcestershire, and Devon. Some historical records indicate that the Purifoy family had ties to the area around the village of Wootton in Oxfordshire, where they held land and property.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Purifoy appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landholders in various counties of England. The entry mentions a "William Purifoy" as a tenant in Worcestershire.

In the 14th century, the Purifoy family gained prominence in Somerset, where they owned estates and were involved in local governance. Sir John Purifoy (c. 1350-1420) was a notable figure who served as a member of parliament and was appointed to several commissions by King Richard II.

During the Tudor period, the Purifoy name was associated with religious reformers and Puritans. Thomas Purifoy (c. 1530-1590) was an English Protestant minister who faced persecution for his beliefs and was forced to flee to Geneva for a time.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir William Purifoy (c. 1590-1659), a politician and landowner in Somerset. He served as a member of parliament during the English Civil War and supported the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

In the 17th century, the Purifoy family had connections to the Virginia Colony in America. George Purifoy (c. 1620-1670) was among the early settlers in Virginia, where he established a plantation and served as a justice of the peace.

Over the centuries, the Purifoy surname has also been associated with various notable figures in fields such as literature, art, and academia. For example, Samuel Purifoy (1804-1888) was an American author and Baptist minister, while Mark Purifoy (1926-2012) was a celebrated American sculptor known for his large-scale public artworks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purifoy

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

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

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

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