2000
#11,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,429
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Pursell
An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold purses or pouches.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,735 Americans carry the last name Pursell. That puts it at #12,424 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,322 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pursell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pursell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 125,322
Census rank
#12,424
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,385 bearers of the surname Pursell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12424th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pursell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pursell
The surname Pursell is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from a medieval English place name, possibly related to the Old English word "purhsele," which meant a small dwelling or hut.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pursell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from the year 1196, where a William Pursell is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in certain regions of England by the late 12th century.
Another early reference to the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273, which lists a John Pursell as a landowner in the village of Aylesbury. This indicates that the Pursell family had gained some prominence and landholdings in the area by the 13th century.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, various spellings of the name appeared in historical records, including Purssell, Pursill, and Pursyll. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
One notable historical figure bearing the Pursell surname was Sir John Pursell (c. 1460-1525), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1497 and was involved in various charitable endeavors during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual was Robert Pursell (1580-1644), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Barnstaple in Devon from 1638 until his death. He was a respected figure in the Church of England during the tumultuous years of the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the Pursell family had established a presence in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where Thomas Pursell (1625-1698) was a prominent landowner and justice of the peace in the town of Ripon.
Moving into the 18th century, we find Samuel Pursell (1720-1789), a successful merchant and ship owner based in Liverpool. He played a significant role in the city's growing maritime trade during this period.
Finally, one of the most renowned individuals with the Pursell surname was Sir William Pursell (1790-1871), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his bravery and rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pursell
Among Census respondents with the surname Pursell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pursell 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 Pursell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,171
- Two or more races4.4% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pursell
Pursell 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
#11,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,608
+179 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 167 places
2020
#12,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,385
-223 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 447 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,810 | 2,429 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,977 | 2,608 | 0.88 | +179 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 167 places |
| 2020 | #12,424 | 2,385 | 0.80 | -223 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 447 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 Pursell 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 | #11,977 | #12,424 | -3.7% |
| Count | 2,608 | 2,385 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.80 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pursell bearers went from 2,608 to 2,385 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 447 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,977 to #12,424.
FAQ
Pursell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pursell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,735 living Americans carry the surname Pursell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,322 residents.
How common is Pursell?
Pursell ranks #12,424 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,385 people with the surname Pursell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,735), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pursell.
Has Pursell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pursell went from 2,608 recorded bearers to 2,385. That is a decrease of 223 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,977 to #12,424.
What does the Census say about the background of Pursell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pursell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Pursell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pursell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Pursell (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 Pursell mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold purses or pouches. 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 Pursell (0.80 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 have the last name Pursell?
See how many people have the last name Pursell on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.