2000
#453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 66,203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 24.54
Uncommon Last name
Parsons
An occupational surname referring to a parson, a clergyman or parish priest in the Church of England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 74,109 Americans carry the last name Parsons. That puts it at #509 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 21.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,625 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parsons 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 Parsons with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
74K
1 in 4,625
Census rank
#509
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
65K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 64,627 bearers of the surname Parsons in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 21.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 509th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsons, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parsons
The surname Parsons is derived from the Old English word "parson," meaning a clergyman or a parish priest. It is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, when the clergy played a significant role in society.
The name Parsons first appeared in historical records around the 13th century, with one of the earliest known references being in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Richard le Persone from Gloucestershire. This early spelling variation, "Persone," highlights the connection to the clerical profession.
As the name spread throughout England, it took on various spellings, such as Parsons, Parson, and Pearson, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and scribal practices. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name include William Parsons, a merchant from London, who lived in the late 13th century, and John Parsons, a landowner from Oxfordshire, mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1327.
The surname Parsons is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Sir Robert Parsons (1546-1610), an English Jesuit priest and writer who played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation movement. Another notable figure was Robert Parsons (1647-1714), an English mathematician and philosopher who contributed to the development of calculus.
In the United States, the Parsons surname has a long and distinguished history. One of the earliest recorded bearers was Joseph Parsons (1647-1729), a Puritan settler who arrived in Massachusetts in the 17th century and became a prominent landowner and community leader. Another notable American with the surname was Samuel Holden Parsons (1737-1789), a Revolutionary War general who fought alongside George Washington.
The Parsons surname has also been associated with several important literary figures, including Thomas William Parsons (1819-1892), an American poet and linguist, and Louisa Parsons (1881-1950), an English novelist and short story writer.
Throughout its history, the surname Parsons has maintained its connection to the clerical profession, as well as its English origins. While it has spread worldwide and taken on various spellings, it remains a prominent surname with a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parsons
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsons, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Parsons 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 Parsons surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 56,739
- Two or more races4.0% · 2,589
- Black or African American3.6% · 2,295
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 2,070
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 510
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 424
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parsons
Parsons 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
#498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 67,310
+1,107 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 22.82
Rank movement Down 45 places
2020
#509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 64,627
-2,683 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 21.62
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #453 | 66,203 | 24.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #498 | 67,310 | 22.82 | +1,107 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 45 places |
| 2020 | #509 | 64,627 | 21.62 | -2,683 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 11 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 Parsons 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 | #498 | #509 | -2.2% |
| Count | 67,310 | 64,627 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 22.82 | 21.62 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parsons bearers went from 67,310 to 64,627 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #498 to #509.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Parsons
FAQ
Parsons surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parsons?
Name Census estimates that about 74,109 living Americans carry the surname Parsons. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,625 residents.
How common is Parsons?
Parsons ranks #509 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 21.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 22 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 64,627 people with the surname Parsons. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (74,109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 21.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 21.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 22 of them to have the surname Parsons.
Has Parsons become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parsons went from 67,310 recorded bearers to 64,627. That is a decrease of 2,683 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #498 to #509.
What does the Census say about the background of Parsons?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parsons, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (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 Parsons in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (56,739 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parsons appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Black (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 Parsons (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 Parsons mean?
An occupational surname referring to a parson, a clergyman or parish priest in the Church of England. 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 Parsons (21.62 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 Parsons?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.