2000
#56,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 337
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Purl
A surname derived from the Old English word "pyrl," meaning a small stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 403 Americans carry the last name Purl. That puts it at #61,734 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 850,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Purl surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
403
1 in 850,507
Census rank
#61,734
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
351
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 351 bearers of the surname Purl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61734th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Purl, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Purl
The surname PURL originates from England and dates back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "pyrl," which means a small stream or creek. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a small body of water.
The earliest recorded instance of the name PURL can be found in the Parish Records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a John Purl was listed in 1598. It is possible that the name was initially associated with this region, as similar spellings like "Purle" and "Purlee" were also present in nearby areas during the same period.
In the 17th century, the name PURL appeared in various historical documents, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662, which listed a Thomas Purl in the village of Great Hallingbury, Essex. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.
One notable individual with the surname PURL was William Purl (1638-1692), a prominent merchant and landowner from Barnsley, Yorkshire. He was known for his extensive trade dealings and owned several properties in the region.
Another figure of historical significance was Elizabeth Purl (1718-1796), a renowned writer and poet from Gloucestershire. Her collection of poems, titled "Verses from the Countryside," was widely acclaimed and celebrated for its vivid descriptions of rural life.
In the 19th century, the name PURL was associated with several prominent figures, including Sir James Purl (1824-1896), a British politician and member of Parliament for the borough of Wigan. He was known for his advocacy of workers' rights and played a significant role in reforming labor laws.
Another noteworthy individual was Captain Robert Purl (1861-1932), a decorated naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the late Victorian era. He was commended for his bravery and leadership during several military campaigns.
The surname PURL has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Purl Green in Oxfordshire and Purl Hill in Wiltshire, further reinforcing its connection to the country's geography and landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Purl
Among Census respondents with the surname Purl, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Purl bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Purl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 313
- Two or more races4.8% · 17
- Black or African American3.7% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Purl
Purl appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#50,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 411
+74 bearers (+22.0%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 5,916 places
2020
#61,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 351
-60 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 10,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,687 | 337 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,771 | 411 | 0.14 | +74 bearers (+22.0%) | Up 5,916 places |
| 2020 | #61,734 | 351 | 0.12 | -60 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 10,963 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Purl surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #50,771 | #61,734 | -21.6% |
| Count | 411 | 351 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.12 | -16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Purl bearers went from 411 to 351 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 10,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,771 to #61,734.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Purl
FAQ
Purl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Purl?
Name Census estimates that about 403 living Americans carry the surname Purl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 850,507 residents.
How common is Purl?
Purl ranks #61,734 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 351 people with the surname Purl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (403), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Purl.
Has Purl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Purl went from 411 recorded bearers to 351. That is a decrease of 60 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,771 to #61,734.
What does the Census say about the background of Purl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Purl, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Purl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (313 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Purl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Black (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Purl (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Purl mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "pyrl," meaning a small stream or brook. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Purl (0.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Purl?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Purl is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.