NameCensus.

UK surname

Parle

Derived from the French word "parler," indicating a connection to a speaker or orator.

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Parle surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 452, ranked #10,768, up from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Cardiff and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Parle is 477 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 347.5%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

452

2016, ranked #10,768

Peak year

2010

477 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Parle had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 452 in 2016, ranked #10,768.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 209 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Parle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Parle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Parle 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 35 #27,037
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 160 #17,555
1901 historical 165 #17,085
1911 historical 209 #14,557
1997 modern 403 #10,955
1998 modern 423 #10,899
1999 modern 430 #10,855
2000 modern 423 #10,941
2001 modern 421 #10,789
2002 modern 426 #10,918
2003 modern 415 #10,962
2004 modern 417 #10,943
2005 modern 438 #10,422
2006 modern 441 #10,411
2007 modern 448 #10,365
2008 modern 454 #10,334
2009 modern 467 #10,372
2010 modern 477 #10,410
2011 modern 461 #10,582
2012 modern 434 #10,977
2013 modern 448 #10,870
2014 modern 449 #10,926
2015 modern 443 #10,957
2016 modern 452 #10,768

Geography

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Where Parles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Liverpool, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, Cardiff, Liverpool and Knowsley. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 005 Halton
2 Cardiff 040 Cardiff
3 Liverpool 003 Liverpool
4 Liverpool 011 Liverpool
5 Knowsley 005 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Parle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Parle

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Parle, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Parle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Parle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Parle is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Parle 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

Parle falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Parle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Parle

The surname Parle is of French origin, derived from the Old French verb "parler," which means "to speak." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century, possibly as a nickname or occupational surname for someone who was a speaker, interpreter, or someone who was particularly talkative or eloquent.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in medieval French documents, such as tax rolls, census records, and parish registers. One of the earliest references to the name is found in the "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Paris," a medieval cartulary from the 12th century, which mentions a person named "Johannes Parle."

In England, the surname is thought to have been introduced after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French-speaking settlers accompanied William the Conqueror and settled in various parts of the country. The earliest recorded instance of the name in England is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentions a "Willelmus Parle."

The surname Parle has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Parley in Hampshire and Parley in Dorset. These place names may have been derived from the Old English word "pearroc," meaning "a small enclosed area," or from the Old French word "parler," indicating a place where people gathered to speak or hold meetings.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Parle. One example is Sir John Parle (c. 1350-1418), an English soldier and Member of Parliament who served in the Hundred Years' War and was appointed Constable of Berkeley Castle. Another notable figure is Peter Parle (1511-1557), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the Marian Persecutions.

In the 17th century, Edward Parle (1617-1678) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wallingford during the English Civil War. In the 18th century, William Parle (1742-1807) was a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

During the 19th century, William Parle (1790-1866) was a British artist and engraver known for his topographical and architectural illustrations. He was a member of the Old Watercolour Society and contributed illustrations to several notable publications of his time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Parle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Parle 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 63 Parles recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 63 5.39x
Cheshire 17 7.82x
Kent 8 2.38x
Glamorgan 6 3.50x
Surrey 5 1.04x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.10x
Essex 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 29 Parles recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.85x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 29 40.85x
Kirkdale 10 50.86x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 96.98x
Milton In Gravesend 8 158.73x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 8 320.00x
Macclesfield 7 72.39x
Toxteth Park 6 15.16x
Everton 5 13.42x
Leckwith 5 1250.00x
Southwark Christchurch 5 108.23x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 5.25x
Accrington 1 9.41x
Chester St John Baptist 1 25.58x
Colchester St Botolph 1 60.61x
Dutton 1 666.67x
Llandaff 1 17.51x
Manchester 1 1.90x
Walton On Hill 1 15.80x
Wavertree 1 26.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 8
William 7
John 6
Peter 4
Thomas 4
Patrick 3
Nicholas 2
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Frederick 1
Jasper 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Murtigh 1
Robert 1
Thosmas 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Parle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Parle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Parle surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Parle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 452 in 2016. That gives Parle a modern rank of #10,768.

What does the Parle surname mean?

Derived from the French word "parler," indicating a connection to a speaker or orator.

What does the Parle map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Parle 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.