Explore the Family Name Parr

The meaning of Parr

1. English: habitational name from Parr in Lancashire, or from residence at an enclosure (Middle English parr, Old English pearr). 2. English: variant of Pear with the common late Middle English and early modern English change of -er- to -ar-. 3. German: from Middle Low German parre ‘parish, district, minister’s house’; a metonymic occupational name for a parson or for someone who worked in a parsonage or manse. Compare Pfarr.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Parr in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Parr experienced a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Parr ranked 2,057 in popularity among US surnames, but by 2010 it had fallen to 2,239, representing a change of -8.85%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Parr surname slightly increased from 16,120 in 2000 to 16,286 in 2010, which equates to growth of 1.03%. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a decrease from 5.98 to 5.52 during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#2,057#2,239-8.85%
Count16,12016,2861.03%
Proportion per 100k5.985.52-7.69%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Parr

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Parr showed varying changes over the same decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2010, the majority of individuals with the Parr surname identified as White, making up 87.69% of the total, down from 89.75% in 2000. Those identifying as Black made up 4.84% in 2010, showing a slight increase from 4.79% in 2000. Individuals identifying as Hispanic showed a significant rise from 1.91% in 2000 to 2.81% in 2010. A similar upward trend was seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with two or more races, increasing to 1.91% and 2.06% respectively. The smallest group, American Indian and Alaskan Native, also saw an increase, though modest, from 0.59% in 2000 to 0.68% in 2010.

20002010Change
White89.75%87.69%-2.3%
Black4.79%4.84%1.04%
Hispanic1.91%2.81%47.12%
Two or More Races1.48%2.06%39.19%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.48%1.91%29.05%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.59%0.68%15.25%

Parr ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Parr is British & Irish, which comprises 49.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.3%) and Eastern European (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish49.7%
French & German26.3%
Eastern European4.9%
Other19.1%
Parr

Possible origins of the surname Parr

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Parr have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom84.60%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom84.30%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom84.30%
West Midlands, United Kingdom83.90%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom83.70%

What Parr haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Parr is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Prince, Cameron, Cody, Gee, Sherman, Maynard, Moon, Parry, Maxwell, Kendrick.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Parr surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

parrPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Parr have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Parr

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Parr" Surname 40.9%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Parr

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Parr" Surname 29.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Parr

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Parr" Surname 22.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Parr

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Parr" Surname 20.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Parr?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Parr are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%