NameCensus.

UK surname

Parslow

From an Old English location referring to a sloping pasture or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 644 people recorded with the Parslow surname, ranking it #5,536 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 760, ranked #7,210, down from #5,536 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Heston, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Chiltern and Wycombe.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Parslow is 1,004 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.0%.

1881 census count

644

Ranked #5,536

Modern count

760

2016, ranked #7,210

Peak year

1911

1,004 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Parslow had 644 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,536 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 760 in 2016, ranked #7,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,004 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Parslow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Parslow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Parslow 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 387 #6,204
1861 historical 377 #6,777
1881 historical 644 #5,536
1891 historical 759 #5,250
1901 historical 864 #5,299
1911 historical 1,004 #4,532
1997 modern 863 #6,165
1998 modern 917 #6,061
1999 modern 894 #6,235
2000 modern 893 #6,212
2001 modern 872 #6,208
2002 modern 875 #6,312
2003 modern 831 #6,451
2004 modern 829 #6,476
2005 modern 813 #6,523
2006 modern 797 #6,650
2007 modern 796 #6,721
2008 modern 778 #6,912
2009 modern 797 #6,912
2010 modern 799 #7,035
2011 modern 812 #6,848
2012 modern 795 #6,864
2013 modern 789 #7,043
2014 modern 792 #7,060
2015 modern 770 #7,157
2016 modern 760 #7,210

Geography

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Where Parslows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Heston, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Willesden and Kingston-on-Thames. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Chiltern, Wycombe, Allerdale and Forest of Dean. 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 Heston Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 004 North Somerset
2 Chiltern 005 Chiltern
3 Wycombe 002 Wycombe
4 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
5 Forest of Dean 005 Forest of Dean

Forenames

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First names often paired with Parslow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Parslow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Parslow, 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 Parslow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Parslow 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Parslow is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Parslow is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Parslow falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Parslow 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Parslow

The surname Parslow is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "pearroc," meaning a small enclosed area or pen for domestic animals. This suggests that the name may have originated among families who lived in an area with such a pen or enclosure.

The earliest known record of the name Parslow dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Perroc" in Somerset, England. This indicates that the name was already established in the southwestern region of England by the late 11th century.

Over time, the name evolved through various spellings, including Parrok, Parroke, Parrock, Parrocke, and Parrocke, before settling on the modern form of Parslow. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during the medieval period.

In the 13th century, records show a John Parroc residing in Gloucestershire, while a Richard Parrok was documented in Somerset in the 14th century. These early mentions provide evidence of the name's continued presence in the southwestern counties of England.

One notable bearer of the Parslow surname was Thomas Parslow (c. 1615-1670), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Steyning, Sussex, during the Commonwealth period. He played a role in the political turmoil of the mid-17th century.

Another historically significant figure was John Parslow (1766-1837), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Aldermary and the London Docks.

In the 19th century, William Parslow (1801-1884) was a prominent English Baptist minister and author who served as the pastor of Ebenezer Chapel in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, for over 50 years.

The Parslow name also has connections to the United States, with John Parslow (1834-1912), an English-born American businessman and manufacturer who founded the Parslow Manufacturing Company in Illinois.

Additionally, Edith Parslow (1884-1968) was a British artist and engraver known for her etchings and woodcuts depicting rural landscapes and scenes from her native Somerset.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Parslow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Parslow 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. Gloucestershire leads with 129 Parslows recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.42x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 129 10.42x
Middlesex 126 2.00x
Buckinghamshire 97 25.42x
Surrey 66 2.15x
Oxfordshire 44 11.29x
Lancashire 36 0.48x
Somerset 28 2.76x
Warwickshire 16 1.01x
Northumberland 15 1.60x
Durham 10 0.53x
Sussex 10 0.94x
Norfolk 8 0.82x
Bedfordshire 6 1.84x
Hertfordshire 6 1.38x
Staffordshire 6 0.28x
Derbyshire 5 0.51x
Worcestershire 5 0.61x
Berkshire 4 0.84x
Glamorgan 4 0.36x
Kent 4 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.47x
Wiltshire 4 0.72x
Cornwall 3 0.42x
Devon 3 0.23x
Channel Islands 2 1.07x
Monmouthshire 2 0.44x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.38x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Leicestershire 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 1.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingston On Thames in Surrey leads with 43 Parslows recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.21x.

Place Total Index
Kingston On Thames 43 58.21x
Princes Risborough 30 587.08x
Clifton 17 27.17x
Cam 15 394.74x
Norwood 15 103.95x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 12.01x
Throckley 14 540.54x
Formby 12 141.51x
Cheltenham 11 11.52x
Hughenden 11 282.05x
Aston 10 2.28x
Chelsea London 10 5.26x
Islington London 10 1.63x
Oxford St Giles 10 53.79x
Singleton 10 833.33x
Amersham 9 166.36x
Pinner 9 162.75x
Shoreditch London 9 3.29x
St Pancras London 9 1.77x
Standish 9 841.12x
Berkeley Breadstone 8 2580.65x
Bramerton 8 1481.48x
Bromley London 8 5.76x
Chalgrove 8 720.72x
Enfield 8 19.32x
Oxford St Ebbe 8 69.75x
Willesden 8 13.45x
Garston 7 31.67x
Great Hampden 7 1272.73x
Haddenham 7 223.64x
Moorsley 7 346.53x
Paulton 7 150.54x
Wycombe 7 24.61x
Blaisdon 6 1333.33x
Cowley 6 49.30x
Ealing 6 10.64x
Easton In Gordano 6 146.70x
Putney 6 20.86x
Westbury On Trym 6 14.31x
Aylesbury 5 29.57x
Birmingham 5 0.94x
Flamstead 5 124.69x
Fulham London 5 5.46x
Mangotsfield 5 40.52x
Rotherfield Greys 5 121.07x
Wimbledon 5 14.48x
Bitton Oldland 4 31.62x
Bristol St Paul In 4 12.13x
Caddington 4 83.51x
Charfield 4 330.58x
Cheddar 4 78.28x
Cholesbury 4 1904.76x
Dursley 4 78.59x
Horsley 4 67.23x
Langley Marish 4 85.47x
Manchester 4 1.19x
Poplar London 4 3.36x
Ribbesford 4 58.31x
St Anne Soho London 4 11.10x
Street 4 72.73x
Sutton Bonnington 4 184.33x
Uley 4 176.99x
Waterstock 4 1428.57x
Camberwell 3 0.74x
Hambleden 3 92.02x
Hulme 3 1.92x
Kensington London 3 0.86x
Liverpool 3 0.66x
Llandyfodwg 3 48.15x
Long Ashton 3 59.52x
Newington Bagpath 3 731.71x
Sherston Magna 3 89.29x
St Marylebone London 3 0.89x
Stafford St Mary 3 9.95x
Stapleton 3 12.78x
Taunton St Mary 3 16.09x
West Derby 3 1.37x
Westminster St 3 12.89x
Chesham 2 14.22x
Woolhampton 2 186.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 49
John 35
Thomas 25
Henry 22
George 21
James 19
Joseph 15
Charles 11
Albert 10
Alfred 9
Edward 6
Harry 6
Stephen 6
Benjamin 5
Samuel 5
Wm. 5
Frederick 4
Arthur 3
Chas. 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Lewis 3
Robert 3
David 2
Eli 2
Elias 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Hy. 2
Oney 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Bertram 1
Charlie 1
Christopher 1
Decimus 1
Earnest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredk.T. 1
Josh. 1
Levi 1
Mathew 1
Moses 1
Nath. 1
Oliver 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1

FAQ

Parslow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Parslow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 644 people were recorded with the Parslow surname. That placed it at #5,536 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Parslow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 760 in 2016. That gives Parslow a modern rank of #7,210.

What does the Parslow surname mean?

From an Old English location referring to a sloping pasture or meadow.

What does the Parslow map show?

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