2000
#7,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,046
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Pursley
An English occupational surname for someone who harvests or sells wild garlic, from the Old English "purrs" meaning wild garlic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,355 Americans carry the last name Pursley. That puts it at #8,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pursley 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
4.4K
1 in 78,704
Census rank
#8,347
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,798 bearers of the surname Pursley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pursley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pursley
The surname Pursley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "pers" meaning "pear" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century, referring to individuals who lived near a pear orchard or a meadow where pear trees grew.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mention a Ralph de Persle. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also include a reference to a John de Perslee in Nottinghamshire.
Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Persley, Peersley, and Perslee, before settling on the modern form of Pursley. This evolution in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to inconsistent record-keeping practices and regional dialects.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name was Sir John Pursley (c. 1410-1478), a knight and landowner from Hertfordshire. He served as a member of Parliament for Hertfordshire during the reign of Henry VI.
Another historical figure was Richard Pursley (1592-1670), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Islington, London. He published several religious works during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, John Pursley (1620-1689) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Virginia Colony. He established a successful trading business and acquired substantial landholdings in the region.
During the American Revolutionary War, Captain William Pursley (1745-1819) served in the Continental Army and participated in several pivotal battles, including the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.
Another notable figure was Mary Pursley (1805-1890), an English philanthropist and social reformer. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights.
While the Pursley surname is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, with various spellings and notable individuals who contributed to various aspects of society throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pursley
Among Census respondents with the surname Pursley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pursley 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 Pursley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 3,237
- Black or African American5.3% · 202
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 170
- Two or more races3.9% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pursley
Pursley 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
#8,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,091
+45 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 521 places
2020
#8,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,798
-293 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,582 | 4,046 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,103 | 4,091 | 1.39 | +45 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 521 places |
| 2020 | #8,347 | 3,798 | 1.27 | -293 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 244 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 Pursley 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 | #8,103 | #8,347 | -3.0% |
| Count | 4,091 | 3,798 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.27 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pursley bearers went from 4,091 to 3,798 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 244 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,103 to #8,347.
FAQ
Pursley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pursley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,355 living Americans carry the surname Pursley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,704 residents.
How common is Pursley?
Pursley ranks #8,347 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,798 people with the surname Pursley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Pursley.
Has Pursley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pursley went from 4,091 recorded bearers to 3,798. That is a decrease of 293 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,103 to #8,347.
What does the Census say about the background of Pursley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pursley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Pursley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (3,237 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pursley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Black (5.3%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Pursley (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 Pursley mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who harvests or sells wild garlic, from the Old English "purrs" meaning wild garlic. 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 Pursley (1.27 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 share the surname Pursley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.