2000
#1,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,654
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.88
Uncommon Last name
Parra
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a trellis or grapevine, likely indicating an ancestor's occupation as a grape grower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,439 Americans carry the last name Parra. That puts it at #951 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parra 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 Parra with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
41K
1 in 8,271
Census rank
#951
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
36K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,137 bearers of the surname Parra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 951st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parra
The surname Parra is of Spanish and Italian origin, derived from the Latin word "parra," which means "vine" or "grapevine." It is believed to have originated in the regions of Spain and Italy where grape cultivation and winemaking were prevalent.
In Spain, the earliest recorded instances of the surname Parra can be traced back to the 12th century. It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who worked with or lived near vineyards. One notable early bearer of the name was Pedro Parra, a Spanish nobleman and landowner who lived in the 13th century.
The surname Parra also has a long history in Italy, where it is believed to have originated in regions such as Tuscany and Piedmont, known for their wine production. Records from the 14th century mention individuals with the surname Parra in these areas.
Historically, the surname Parra has been associated with various professions and occupations related to viniculture, such as winemakers, vineyard owners, and grape growers. In some cases, the name may have also been given to individuals who lived near vineyards or had a physical resemblance to grapevines.
Notable individuals with the surname Parra include:
1. José Parra del Riego (1564-1638), a Spanish historian and writer from Seville.
2. Juan Bautista Parra (1720-1798), a Spanish botanist and explorer who studied flora in Colombia and Venezuela.
3. Francisco Parra (1856-1924), a Chilean politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
4. Nicanor Parra (1914-2018), a renowned Chilean poet, mathematician, and physicist, considered one of the founders of anti-poetry.
5. Violeta Parra (1917-1967), a celebrated Chilean composer, singer, and visual artist, known for her contributions to the Nueva Canción movement.
The surname Parra has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Spain and Latin America, such as Parra de Arribe and Parra de Abajo in Spain, and Parra de Las Vegas in Venezuela.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parra
Among Census respondents with the surname Parra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Parra 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 Parra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.4% · 33,403
- White6.0% · 2,182
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 168
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 143
- Black or African American0.3% · 125
- Two or more races0.3% · 116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parra
Parra 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
#943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,765
+10,111 bearers (+37.9%)
Per 100,000 12.46
Rank movement Up 260 places
2020
#951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,137
-628 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 12.09
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,203 | 26,654 | 9.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #943 | 36,765 | 12.46 | +10,111 bearers (+37.9%) | Up 260 places |
| 2020 | #951 | 36,137 | 12.09 | -628 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 8 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 Parra 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 | #943 | #951 | -0.8% |
| Count | 36,765 | 36,137 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 12.46 | 12.09 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parra bearers went from 36,765 to 36,137 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #943 to #951.
FAQ
Parra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parra?
Name Census estimates that about 41,439 living Americans carry the surname Parra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,271 residents.
How common is Parra?
Parra ranks #951 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,137 people with the surname Parra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,439), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Parra.
Has Parra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parra went from 36,765 recorded bearers to 36,137. That is a decrease of 628 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #943 to #951.
What does the Census say about the background of Parra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Parra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (33,403 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.4%), White (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Parra (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 Parra mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a trellis or grapevine, likely indicating an ancestor's occupation as a grape grower. 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 Parra (12.09 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 Parra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.