2000
#8,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,390
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Purser
An occupational surname for a person in charge of finances and provisions on a ship.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,968 Americans carry the last name Purser. That puts it at #9,071 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,380 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Purser 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 Purser with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,380
Census rank
#9,071
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,460 bearers of the surname Purser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9071st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Purser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Purser
The surname Purser has its origins in the medieval English occupation of the same name, denoting a person who was responsible for carrying and distributing money and provisions on ships or within large households. The name is derived from the Old French word "poursuivant," meaning an attendant or servant.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Purser dates back to the late 13th century in Yorkshire, England. A Thomas le Purser is mentioned in the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1275. The name was also found in various spellings, such as Pursere, Pursour, and Pursoure, during this period.
In the 14th century, the surname Purser appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a John le Pursere was recorded in 1279. This record provides evidence of the occupation's significance in medieval England and the gradual transition of the title into a hereditary surname.
The Purser surname can be traced back to various locations across England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire, suggesting the occupation's widespread presence in different regions. In the 16th century, William Purser (1520-1589) was a notable English churchman who served as the Dean of Lichfield Cathedral.
Another early reference to the Purser surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Radulfus Purser is recorded as holding estates in Lincolnshire. This entry highlights the surname's association with landownership and wealth during the Norman period in England.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Purser surname throughout history are:
1. William Purser (1790-1853), an English mathematician and inventor of the Purser's Sluice, a device used in hydraulic engineering.
2. George Purser (1842-1909), an Irish mathematician and Fellow of the Royal Society.
3. John Mallet Purser (1825-1909), an Irish judge and Member of Parliament.
4. Samuel Purser (1789-1868), an English engraver and watercolor painter.
5. William Edward Purser (1858-1932), an Irish classical scholar and professor at Trinity College Dublin.
The Purser surname has a rich history rooted in medieval England, reflecting the importance of the occupation in maritime and household affairs. Its longevity and presence across various regions of England highlight the name's enduring significance throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Purser
Among Census respondents with the surname Purser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Purser 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 Purser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 3,045
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 152
- Two or more races3.6% · 124
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Purser
Purser 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
#9,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,545
+155 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 320 places
2020
#9,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,460
-85 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,879 | 3,390 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,199 | 3,545 | 1.20 | +155 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 320 places |
| 2020 | #9,071 | 3,460 | 1.16 | -85 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 128 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 Purser 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 | #9,199 | #9,071 | 1.4% |
| Count | 3,545 | 3,460 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.16 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Purser bearers went from 3,545 to 3,460 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,199 to #9,071.
FAQ
Purser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Purser?
Name Census estimates that about 3,968 living Americans carry the surname Purser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,380 residents.
How common is Purser?
Purser ranks #9,071 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,460 people with the surname Purser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,968), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Purser.
Has Purser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Purser went from 3,545 recorded bearers to 3,460. That is a decrease of 85 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,199 to #9,071.
What does the Census say about the background of Purser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Purser, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Purser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (3,045 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Purser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Purser (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 Purser mean?
An occupational surname for a person in charge of finances and provisions on a ship. 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 Purser (1.16 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 Purser?
You can see how many people have the last name Purser on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.