NameCensus.

UK surname

Parr

Derived from the Old English word pearroc, referring to an enclosure or park keeper.

In the 1881 census there were 7,480 people recorded with the Parr surname, ranking it #568 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,586, ranked #668, down from #568 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Parr is 10,418 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.2%.

1881 census count

7,480

Ranked #568

Modern count

9,586

2016, ranked #668

Peak year

1911

10,418 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Parr had 7,480 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #568 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,586 in 2016, ranked #668.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,418 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Parr surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Parr surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Parr 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 4,686 #591
1861 historical 4,724 #598
1881 historical 7,480 #568
1891 historical 8,100 #543
1901 historical 9,261 #566
1911 historical 10,418 #467
1997 modern 10,019 #620
1998 modern 10,243 #629
1999 modern 10,401 #625
2000 modern 10,304 #627
2001 modern 10,077 #628
2002 modern 10,216 #634
2003 modern 9,979 #634
2004 modern 9,904 #638
2005 modern 9,724 #644
2006 modern 9,735 #644
2007 modern 9,847 #640
2008 modern 9,803 #648
2009 modern 9,976 #652
2010 modern 10,134 #654
2011 modern 9,878 #660
2012 modern 9,601 #667
2013 modern 9,808 #664
2014 modern 9,775 #667
2015 modern 9,641 #669
2016 modern 9,586 #668

Geography

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Where Parrs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens and Wigan. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
2 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 007 St. Helens
4 Wigan 033 Wigan
5 St. Helens 022 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Parr

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Parr

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Parr surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Parr household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Parr is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Parr is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Parr 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 Parr 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 Parr, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Parr

The surname Parr originates from the Old English pre 7th century word "pearroc" meaning a small enclosed area or park. The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and first emerged in England during the medieval period.

The earliest known recordings of the surname Parr date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The name is believed to have derived from various place names across England such as Parre in Somerset, Parr in Lancashire, and Parr in Shropshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Parr was William Parr, who was born in 1434 in Kendal, Westmorland, England. He served as a Member of Parliament for Westmorland in 1461 and was also a prominent landowner in the region.

Catherine Parr, born in 1512 and died in 1548, was perhaps the most famous individual with this surname. She was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England and is renowned for her role in promoting the English Reformation and her advocacy for religious tolerance.

Sir William Parr, born in 1484 and died in 1547, was the younger brother of Catherine Parr and served as a prominent courtier and military commander during the reign of Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was appointed as the first Marquess of Northampton in 1547.

Another notable individual with the surname Parr was Richard Parr, born in 1617 and died in 1691. He was an English politician and served as a Member of Parliament for Bridport in Dorset during the 17th century.

Thomas Parr, born in 1483 and died in 1635, is often referred to as "Old Parr" and is believed to have been one of the longest-lived individuals in recorded history, allegedly reaching the age of 152 years. While the exact details of his life are disputed, he gained fame in his later years and was even presented to King Charles I.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Parr families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Parr 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 2,586 Parrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.99x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,586 2.99x
Middlesex 602 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 550 5.59x
Devon 415 2.73x
Yorkshire 386 0.53x
Cheshire 350 2.17x
Staffordshire 323 1.31x
Surrey 234 0.66x
Cambridgeshire 215 4.65x
Kent 180 0.72x
Lincolnshire 148 1.27x
Derbyshire 126 1.10x
Suffolk 122 1.37x
Warwickshire 108 0.59x
Durham 102 0.47x
Leicestershire 92 1.14x
Worcestershire 76 0.80x
Gloucestershire 66 0.46x
Glamorgan 64 0.50x
Hampshire 64 0.43x
Berkshire 62 1.13x
Essex 62 0.43x
Shropshire 54 0.86x
Sussex 50 0.41x
Norfolk 49 0.44x
Somerset 46 0.39x
Cumberland 35 0.56x
Northamptonshire 25 0.36x
Northumberland 24 0.22x
Wiltshire 23 0.36x
Angus 22 0.33x
Oxfordshire 20 0.44x
Radnorshire 19 3.23x
Midlothian 17 0.17x
Cornwall 16 0.19x
Denbighshire 16 0.58x
Lanarkshire 14 0.06x
Monmouthshire 13 0.25x
Caernarfonshire 12 0.41x
Wigtownshire 12 1.24x
Herefordshire 10 0.33x
Renfrewshire 10 0.18x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.18x
Isle of Man 7 0.52x
Dorset 6 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 6 0.41x
Royal Navy 5 0.57x
Banffshire 3 0.20x
Hertfordshire 3 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.18x
Perthshire 3 0.09x
Flintshire 2 0.10x
Westmorland 2 0.12x
Bedfordshire 1 0.03x
Caithness 1 0.10x
East Lothian 1 0.10x
Kincardineshire 1 0.11x
Rutland 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. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 112 Parrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.82x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 112 3.82x
Wigan 112 9.25x
Nottingham St Mary 109 4.28x
Windle 107 21.96x
Liverpool 102 1.94x
Parr 101 32.60x
Westleigh 97 49.32x
Burslem 85 12.04x
Everton 85 3.08x
Sutton 67 23.07x
Manchester 64 1.64x
Islington London 61 0.86x
Eccleston In Prescot 60 13.80x
Burwell 59 106.52x
Hindley 59 15.98x
Lambeth 56 0.88x
Mile End Old Town 53 4.60x
Worsley 52 9.74x
Hulme 51 2.82x
Exning 46 102.52x
West Derby 45 1.78x
Little Bolton 44 3.95x
Barton Upon Irwell 43 6.60x
Hoose 43 142.48x
Redditch 43 22.25x
Salford 42 1.65x
Walsall Foreign 42 3.30x
Blackburn 41 1.78x
Kensington London 41 1.01x
Snenton 41 10.61x
Wavertree 41 14.79x
Radford 40 8.00x
St Pancras London 40 0.68x
Bromley London 39 2.43x
Layton With Warbreck 39 12.27x
Bethnal Green London 37 1.17x
Elland Cum Greetland 37 11.36x
Bury 36 3.64x
Battersea 35 1.30x
Limehouse London 35 4.37x
Scarisbrick 35 34.82x
St Andrewthe Less 35 6.63x
Stoke Upon Trent 35 1.34x
Chelsea London 34 1.55x
Culcheth 34 59.92x
Ince In Makerfield 34 8.44x
Birmingham 33 0.54x
Deptford St Paul 33 1.72x
Batley 32 4.66x
Clerkenwell London 32 1.86x
Wolstanton 32 4.28x
Camberwell 31 0.66x
Leicester St Margaret 31 1.57x
Lowdham 31 167.93x
Aston 30 0.59x
Tormoham 30 4.67x
Prescot 29 18.52x
Aspull 27 13.25x
Great Bolton 27 2.35x
Heysham 27 170.99x
Rainhill 27 48.66x
Hickling 26 210.19x
Ashton Under Lyne 25 1.32x
Killamarsh 25 35.17x
Over Darwen 25 3.61x
Portsea 25 0.85x
Hackney London 24 0.59x
Lynesack Softley 23 39.21x
Newton In Makerfield 23 8.67x
Kirkdale 22 1.51x
Newington 22 0.82x
Pilling 22 54.12x
Stretford 22 4.62x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 22 8.82x
Bulwell 21 9.82x
Haydock 21 14.07x
Lambley 21 104.53x
St Marylebone London 21 0.54x
Blackrod 20 18.58x
Exeter St David 20 15.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 571
Elizabeth 334
Sarah 250
Ann 174
Alice 153
Jane 143
Margaret 122
Ellen 118
Emma 103
Eliza 98
Martha 95
Annie 92
Hannah 87
Emily 78
Catherine 49
Charlotte 44
Louisa 38
Ada 35
Edith 35
Frances 35
Fanny 34
Florence 34
Harriet 32
Harriett 31
Caroline 29
Esther 29
Isabella 27
Maria 27
Kate 25
Anne 24
Lucy 24
Susan 24
Elizth. 21
Agnes 20
Amelia 20
Clara 19
Amy 18
Grace 17
Susannah 17
Rose 15
Anna 14
Betsy 14
Julia 13
Betty 12
Eleanor 12
Henrietta 12
Matilda 12
Rebecca 12
Jessie 11
Ruth 11

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 504
William 458
James 275
Thomas 270
George 230
Henry 170
Joseph 139
Charles 107
Robert 99
Richard 95
Samuel 95
Edward 76
Alfred 68
Frederick 60
Albert 52
Arthur 43
Harry 38
Peter 37
Walter 34
Herbert 28
Ernest 27
David 25
Wm. 25
Frank 22
Edwin 21
Francis 20
Thos. 18
Isaac 16
Hugh 14
Benjamin 12
Percy 11
Robt. 11
Fred 10
Edmund 8
Elijah 8
Mark 8
Philip 8
Ralph 8
Stephen 8
Adam 7
Andrew 7
Daniel 7
Jno. 7
Jonathan 7
Alexander 6
Chas. 6
Geo. 6
Joshua 6
Richd. 6
Tom 6

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Parr households.

FAQ

Parr surname: questions and answers

How common was the Parr surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,480 people were recorded with the Parr surname. That placed it at #568 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Parr surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,586 in 2016. That gives Parr a modern rank of #668.

What does the Parr surname mean?

Derived from the Old English word pearroc, referring to an enclosure or park keeper.

What does the Parr map show?

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