2000
#7,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,192
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Puryear
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "pear tree" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,741 Americans carry the last name Puryear. That puts it at #7,718 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,296 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puryear 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
4.7K
1 in 72,296
Census rank
#7,718
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,134 bearers of the surname Puryear in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7718th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puryear, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.5%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puryear
The surname Puryear has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Somerset, where it first emerged in the late 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "pyr" and "hyrig," which together translate to "pear tree" or "pear enclosure." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an individual who lived near a pear tree or a settlement surrounded by pear orchards.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Puryear can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset, dated 1327. These rolls were tax records that documented the names of individuals liable for paying taxes to the crown. The presence of the name in these records indicates that the Puryear family had already established itself in the region by the early 14th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Pyryere, Pyryar, and Pyriere. These variations were common due to the inconsistent nature of spelling and record-keeping practices at the time. It is worth noting that the name Puryear is also reminiscent of the Old English word "pur," meaning a small stream or brook, which may have contributed to its origins.
One notable figure associated with the Puryear name was Sir Thomas Puryear, who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Somerset, owning estates in the village of Puriton, which may have derived its name from the same root as the surname.
In the 17th century, the Puryear family extended its reach beyond Somerset, with records indicating that members of the family had settled in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire and Norfolk. One such individual was John Puryear, born in 1618 in Lincolnshire, who later became a successful merchant and served as a alderman in the city of Norwich.
Another notable figure with the Puryear surname was Sir William Puryear, who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was a prominent lawyer and judge, serving as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1689 to 1718. Sir William was born in Somerset in 1654 and died in London in 1722.
In the 18th century, the Puryear family continued to maintain a presence in various parts of England, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. One notable figure from this period was Richard Puryear, born in 1732 in Oxfordshire, who served as a captain in the British Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
As the British Empire expanded, members of the Puryear family also ventured to other parts of the world, including North America and the Caribbean. In the late 18th century, records show that a branch of the family had settled in Virginia, where they became prominent landowners and planters.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puryear
Among Census respondents with the surname Puryear, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.5%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Puryear 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 Puryear surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.5% · 2,501
- Black or African American29.4% · 1,216
- Two or more races5.2% · 217
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 153
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puryear
Puryear 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
#7,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,339
+147 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 334 places
2020
#7,718
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,134
-205 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,321 | 4,192 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,655 | 4,339 | 1.47 | +147 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 334 places |
| 2020 | #7,718 | 4,134 | 1.38 | -205 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 63 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 Puryear 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 | #7,655 | #7,718 | -0.8% |
| Count | 4,339 | 4,134 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.38 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puryear bearers went from 4,339 to 4,134 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,655 to #7,718.
FAQ
Puryear surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puryear?
Name Census estimates that about 4,741 living Americans carry the surname Puryear. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,296 residents.
How common is Puryear?
Puryear ranks #7,718 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,134 people with the surname Puryear. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,741), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Puryear.
Has Puryear become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puryear went from 4,339 recorded bearers to 4,134. That is a decrease of 205 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,655 to #7,718.
What does the Census say about the background of Puryear?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puryear, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.5%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Puryear in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.5% (2,501 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puryear appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.5%), Black (29.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Puryear (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 Puryear mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "pear tree" in Old English. 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 Puryear (1.38 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 Puryear?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.