NameCensus.

UK surname

Parke

An English toponymic surname derived from someone who lived near or worked in a park or enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 709 people recorded with the Parke surname, ranking it #5,124 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,262, ranked #4,737, up from #5,124 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Chesterfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, Breckland and Keppochhill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Parke is 1,338 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.0%.

1881 census count

709

Ranked #5,124

Modern count

1,262

2016, ranked #4,737

Peak year

2010

1,338 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Parke had 709 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,124 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,262 in 2016, ranked #4,737.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 925 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Parke surname distribution map

The map shows where the Parke surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Parke surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Parke over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 696 #3,746
1861 historical 764 #3,588
1881 historical 709 #5,124
1891 historical 925 #4,467
1901 historical 871 #5,258
1911 historical 921 #4,863
1997 modern 1,213 #4,669
1998 modern 1,264 #4,682
1999 modern 1,243 #4,772
2000 modern 1,227 #4,798
2001 modern 1,179 #4,879
2002 modern 1,206 #4,882
2003 modern 1,207 #4,784
2004 modern 1,230 #4,702
2005 modern 1,195 #4,769
2006 modern 1,206 #4,752
2007 modern 1,209 #4,784
2008 modern 1,225 #4,766
2009 modern 1,291 #4,635
2010 modern 1,338 #4,576
2011 modern 1,286 #4,696
2012 modern 1,246 #4,759
2013 modern 1,270 #4,758
2014 modern 1,252 #4,842
2015 modern 1,266 #4,750
2016 modern 1,262 #4,737

Geography

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Where Parkes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Chesterfield, Liverpool and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, Breckland, Keppochhill, Copeland and South Norfolk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Chesterfield Derbyshire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 005 South Kesteven
2 Breckland 002 Breckland
3 Keppochhill Glasgow City
4 Copeland 007 Copeland
5 South Norfolk 006 South Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Parke

These lists show first names that appear often with the Parke surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Parke

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Parke, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Parke surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Parke household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Parke is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Parke is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Parke falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Parke is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Parke, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Parke

The surname Parke originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pearroc," meaning an enclosed area or park. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked on a park or enclosed land.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Parke or variations of it, such as Parcus and Parco. One of the earliest recorded instances is of a person named Robertus de Parco, who was listed as holding lands in Lincolnshire.

During the medieval period, the name Parke was predominantly found in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some notable individuals from this time include Sir Thomas de Parke, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, and John Parke, a wealthy merchant from York who lived in the 14th century.

As people began to migrate and settle in different regions, the name spread across England and Scotland. In the 16th century, there are records of a family with the surname Parke residing in Giggleswick, Yorkshire. One of their descendants, Mungo Parke (1561-1623), was a renowned scholar and educator who served as the headmaster of Skipton Grammar School.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Parke (1647-1718), an English politician and baronet from Nottinghamshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

In Scotland, the name Parke was particularly prevalent in the Borders region. One of the earliest recorded instances is of a family from Gillieshill, Berwickshire, in the 16th century. A prominent member of this family was Robert Parke (1612-1689), a Scottish minister and author.

Over the centuries, the surname Parke has also been spelled in various ways, such as Park, Parkes, and Parks. Some other notable individuals with this surname include Mungo Park (1771-1806), a Scottish explorer and one of the first Europeans to explore the River Niger in West Africa, and Rosa Parks (1913-2005), an American civil rights activist known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Parke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Parke surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 112 Parkes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 112 1.36x
Norfolk 88 8.28x
Middlesex 75 1.08x
Yorkshire 60 0.88x
Dorset 32 7.05x
Warwickshire 30 1.72x
Suffolk 27 3.21x
Staffordshire 26 1.11x
Cumberland 24 4.03x
Gloucestershire 23 1.70x
Surrey 22 0.65x
Westmorland 20 13.16x
Essex 16 1.17x
Derbyshire 14 1.29x
Lincolnshire 14 1.27x
Somerset 13 1.17x
Kent 12 0.51x
Lanarkshire 11 0.49x
Sussex 10 0.86x
Devon 9 0.63x
Berkshire 8 1.54x
Cheshire 7 0.46x
Hampshire 7 0.49x
Durham 6 0.29x
Leicestershire 6 0.78x
Monmouthshire 6 1.20x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.64x
Worcestershire 6 0.66x
Herefordshire 5 1.76x
Northumberland 5 0.49x
Wiltshire 2 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.24x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.23x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Hertfordshire 1 0.21x
Oxfordshire 1 0.23x
Perthshire 1 0.32x
Renfrewshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 18 Parkes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 18 2.69x
Witherslack 16 1240.31x
East Harling 14 555.56x
Blackley 13 90.34x
West Derby 13 5.41x
Bedminster 12 11.47x
Aston 11 2.29x
Barrow In Furness 11 9.85x
Birmingham 11 1.89x
Heigham 10 17.52x
Horsley 10 166.39x
Milborne St Andrew 10 746.27x
Blantyre 9 38.64x
East Dereham 9 67.01x
Nether Hallam 9 9.71x
Bawdeswell 8 754.72x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 12.28x
Cleator 8 32.28x
Gainsborough 8 30.69x
Halifax 8 7.95x
Norwood 8 50.60x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 8 410.26x
Urswick 8 262.30x
West Bromwich 8 5.99x
Westhoughton 8 36.53x
Bromley London 7 4.60x
Bushbury 7 167.06x
Chickerell 7 360.82x
Heybridge 7 176.32x
Horham 7 875.00x
Ipswich St Clement 7 32.70x
Speen 7 82.45x
Stowmarket 7 71.94x
Thorpe Next Norwich 7 62.11x
Brewood 6 89.15x
Hyde 6 13.32x
Kensington London 6 1.56x
Lambeth 6 0.99x
Leicester St Margaret 6 3.21x
Paddington London 6 2.36x
Pontefract 6 40.65x
Preston 6 2.73x
Radipole 6 191.69x
St Marylebone London 6 1.62x
Sturminster Marshall 6 315.79x
Birdsall 5 657.89x
Brimfield 5 333.33x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 3.92x
Dudley 5 4.55x
Easby In Richmond 5 1724.14x
Great Yarmouth 5 5.68x
Hulme 5 2.92x
Litherland 5 29.14x
Newington 5 1.96x
Saddleworth 5 9.46x
Shirland 5 61.73x
Slaugham 5 132.63x
Stratford On Avon 5 51.71x
Thwaite In Aylsham 5 1515.15x
Toftrees 5 3333.33x
Whippingham 5 46.60x
Whitehaven 5 15.75x
Everton 4 1.53x
Great Coggeshall 4 56.34x
Hougham 4 625.00x
Maldon All Sts 4 147.60x
Marldon 4 330.58x
Millom 4 21.92x
Nether Graveship 4 275.86x
Norwich St Peter 4 57.31x
Rotherhithe 4 4.68x
St Giles 4 31.15x
St Luke London 4 3.61x
Stoke Newington London 4 7.43x
Withnell 4 79.37x
Accrington 3 4.02x
Blackburn 3 1.37x
Keighley 3 4.11x
Llandenny 3 344.83x
Yealand Conyers 3 410.96x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Parke surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Parke surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 50
John 30
James 28
Thomas 28
George 26
Charles 18
Henry 13
Frederick 11
Edward 10
Robert 10
Joseph 8
Alfred 7
Albert 5
Arthur 5
Herbert 4
Richard 4
Tom 4
Walter 4
Daniel 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Chas. 2
Fred 2
Jas. 2
Louis 2
Sydney 2
Thompson 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Archibald 1
Ared 1
Clifford 1
Earnest 1
Fenning 1
Foster 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Frederich 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Jos. 1
Josiah 1
Lawrence 1
Luke 1
Malcolm 1

FAQ

Parke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Parke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 709 people were recorded with the Parke surname. That placed it at #5,124 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Parke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,262 in 2016. That gives Parke a modern rank of #4,737.

What does the Parke surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from someone who lived near or worked in a park or enclosure.

What does the Parke map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Parke bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.