2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Puroll
An altered spelling of the French surname Perrault, derived from the personal name Pierre.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Puroll. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puroll 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Puroll in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puroll, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puroll
The surname Puroll originates from the Balkan region, with its roots traced back to the 14th century in areas that are now parts of Croatia and Serbia. The name is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "pur," meaning "fire" or "smoke," possibly indicating an association with occupations related to blacksmithing or pottery-making.
Historical records suggest that the earliest known bearers of the name were found in the village of Purolac, located in the present-day region of Šumadija, Serbia. The village's name is thought to have influenced the surname's spelling, which was initially recorded as "Purolacz" or "Purolac" in medieval manuscripts and church registers.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Puroll was Ivan Purolac, a blacksmith who lived in the village of Purolac in the late 15th century. His descendants are believed to have carried the surname forward and contributed to its spread throughout the region.
In the 16th century, the name Puroll appeared in several official records of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over parts of the Balkans during that period. These records included tax registers and land ownership documents, indicating that some Puroll families had achieved a certain level of economic stability and prominence.
Another notable figure was Nikola Puroll, a Serbian soldier who fought in the Austro-Turkish War of 1737-1739. He is mentioned in historical accounts for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Banja Luka.
As the centuries progressed, the Puroll surname spread beyond the Balkan region, with some bearers migrating to other parts of Europe and even further afield. In the 19th century, a family by the name of Puroll settled in the Austrian Empire, and their descendants can be traced to present-day Austria and Germany.
One of the most prominent individuals with the Puroll surname was Milica Puroll, a Serbian painter and art educator who lived from 1892 to 1973. Her works, which often depicted scenes from rural life in Serbia, are celebrated for their vibrant colors and attention to detail.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Aleksandar Puroll, a Croatian architect who made significant contributions to the development of modern architecture in the former Yugoslavia during the mid-20th century. Some of his most notable works include the Federal Executive Council Building in Belgrade and the Adriatic Hotel in Dubrovnik.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puroll
Among Census respondents with the surname Puroll, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Puroll 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 Puroll surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 97
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puroll
Puroll 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-18 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,393 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-14 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 22,393 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 13,111 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 Puroll 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 | #139,228 | #152,339 | -9.4% |
| Count | 120 | 106 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puroll bearers went from 120 to 106 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 13,111 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #152,339.
FAQ
Puroll surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puroll?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Puroll. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Puroll?
Puroll ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Puroll. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Puroll.
Has Puroll become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puroll went from 120 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Puroll?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puroll, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Puroll in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puroll appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Puroll (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 Puroll mean?
An altered spelling of the French surname Perrault, derived from the personal name Pierre. 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 Puroll (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Puroll?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.