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

Purkett, 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 Purkett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purkett in America

Purkett is the 89069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purkett surname appeared 208 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 Purkett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purkett 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 Purkett

The surname Purkett is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Derbyshire, during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "pur" and "cot," which together mean "small cottage." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a modest dwelling or a small farmhouse.

One of the earliest known records of the name Purkett can be found in the Derbyshire County Records from the 15th century, where a person named John Purkett is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Hartington. Additionally, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire from the late 16th century, indicating that the Purkett family had established a presence in the region by that time.

In the 17th century, the Purkett name can be traced to the nearby county of Staffordshire, where a family bearing this surname resided in the town of Uttoxeter. A notable member of this branch was William Purkett (1634-1712), a prosperous merchant and landowner who served as a local magistrate and was involved in the governance of the town.

During the 18th century, the Purkett name spread to other parts of England, with records showing families bearing this surname in counties such as Warwickshire and Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this period was Elizabeth Purkett (1725-1798), a renowned herbalist and healer from the village of Chaddesley Corbett in Worcestershire.

In the 19th century, the Purkett name gained some prominence in the field of literature, with the poet and essayist Thomas Purkett (1817-1892) being one of the most celebrated figures bearing this surname. Purkett's works, which explored themes of nature and rural life, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and continue to be studied by scholars today.

Another notable individual with the Purkett surname was Sir William Purkett (1842-1922), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from the city of Birmingham. Purkett made significant contributions to the development of the local community, establishing several charitable foundations and supporting various educational and cultural initiatives.

While the Purkett surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration. However, the historical records and accounts mentioned above provide insights into the early roots and evolution of this surname within the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purkett

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

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

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

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