2000
#343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 81,890
First available Census row
Per 100,000 30.36
Common Last name
Park
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a park or enclosed land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127,590 Americans carry the last name Park. That puts it at #274 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 37.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,686 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Park 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 Park with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
128K
1 in 2,686
Census rank
#274
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
37.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111,265 bearers of the surname Park in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 37.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 274th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Park, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Park
The surname Park is of English origin and derived from the Old English "pearroc" meaning an enclosed area or park-like space, often used for hunting or keeping animals. The name first emerged in the 12th century and was initially used to identify individuals who lived near or worked on such enclosed estates or parks.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Park can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "de Parco." This Latin form translates to "of the park," indicating an association with a specific enclosed area or park. Similarly, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John del Park in Norfolk, reinforcing the connection to an enclosed space.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name is not explicitly recorded, but there are references to various parks and enclosed areas, suggesting that the surname could have emerged from these locations. One such example is the mention of "Herluin's Park" in Sussex, which could have been the origin of the surname for individuals associated with that particular park.
During the medieval period, the surname Park was particularly prevalent in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. This reflects the historical significance of hunting parks and enclosed areas in these regions, where many noble families and landowners maintained such spaces.
Notable historical figures with the surname Park include:
1. Mungo Park (1771-1806), a Scottish explorer who undertook two expeditions to explore the course of the Niger River in West Africa.
2. Robert Park (1520-1585), a Scottish theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.
3. William Park (1472-1539), an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Stow in Lincolnshire.
4. Andrew Park (1807-1863), a Scottish-born American inventor and businessman who developed an improved method for manufacturing papermaking machinery.
5. Rosa Parks (1913-2005), an African American civil rights activist known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott, which sparked the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
In addition to these individuals, the surname Park has been associated with various place names and locations throughout history, such as Parktown in South Africa, Parkville in Australia, and numerous parks and townships bearing the name across the United Kingdom and North America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Park
Among Census respondents with the surname Park, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Park 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 Park surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander73.6% · 81,851
- White21.6% · 24,005
- Two or more races2.6% · 2,845
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 1,579
- Black or African American0.8% · 854
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 131
Timeline
Historical Census data for Park
Park 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
#289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106,696
+24,806 bearers (+30.3%)
Per 100,000 36.17
Rank movement Up 54 places
2020
#274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111,265
+4,569 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 37.23
Rank movement Up 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #343 | 81,890 | 30.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #289 | 106,696 | 36.17 | +24,806 bearers (+30.3%) | Up 54 places |
| 2020 | #274 | 111,265 | 37.23 | +4,569 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 15 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 Park 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 | #289 | #274 | 5.2% |
| Count | 106,696 | 111,265 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 36.17 | 37.23 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Park bearers went from 106,696 to 111,265 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #289 to #274.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Park
FAQ
Park surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Park?
Name Census estimates that about 127,590 living Americans carry the surname Park. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,686 residents.
How common is Park?
Park ranks #274 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 37.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 37 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111,265 people with the surname Park. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127,590), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 37.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 37.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 37 of them to have the surname Park.
Has Park become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Park went from 106,696 recorded bearers to 111,265. That is an increase of 4,569 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #289 to #274.
What does the Census say about the background of Park?
Among Census respondents with the surname Park, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Park in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.6% (81,851 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Park appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (73.6%), White (21.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Park (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 Park mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a park or enclosed land. 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 Park (37.23 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 Park?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.