Explore the Family Name Parson
The meaning of Parson
1. English: status name or nickname from Middle English persone, persoun ‘priest, parson’ (Old French persone). The status of medieval bearers of the surname is uncertain. Priests were generally known by a habitational name rather than by a surname denoting their role in the church. They were not allowed to marry, but doubtless many had illegitimate children, some of whom may have been given Parson as a surname. Some of the original bearers may have been given it as a nickname (compare Priest, Bishop, Monk) or it may have been an occupational name for someone who worked for the parson (a shortened form of Personesservaunt perhaps). 2. English: in northern England and the North Midlands especially, it is often a variant of Pearson. For the change in vowel compare Parr. 3. Americanized form of Swedish Pärsson, Pehrsson (see Pehrson) or Persson, patronymics from vernacular shortened forms of the personal name Peter. 4. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish names.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Parson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Parson shows a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 2644th in 2000, it dropped to rank 2727 in 2010, showing a decrease of 3.14 percent. The overall count of people with the surname increased by 5.13 percent during the same period, from 12,565 to 13,209. However, the proportion of individuals named Parson per 100,000 people decreased by 3.86 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,644 | #2,727 | -3.14% |
| Count | 12,565 | 13,209 | 5.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.66 | 4.48 | -3.86% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Parson
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Parson also revealed interesting trends according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest group identifying with the name was White, which decreased from 63.15 percent in 2000 to 59.60 percent in 2010. Black was the next significant category, with a slight increase from 31.34 percent to 32.46 percent over the decade. Hispanic representation also grew significantly, from 2.49 percent in 2000 to 3.92 percent in 2010, reflecting a substantial 57.43 percent change. Those identifying as Two or more races rose by 39.27 percent, and the Asian/Pacific Islander category observed a growth of 9.09 percent. American Indian and Alaskan Native identities also saw an increase, albeit smaller, going from 0.56 percent to 0.76 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.15% | 59.6% | -5.62% |
| Black | 31.34% | 32.46% | 3.57% |
| Hispanic | 2.49% | 3.92% | 57.43% |
| Two or More Races | 1.91% | 2.66% | 39.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.76% | 35.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.6% | 9.09% |
Parson 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 Parson is British & Irish, which comprises 46.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.3%) and Nigerian (7.0%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.4% |
| French & German | 22.3% |
| Nigerian | 7.0% |
| Other | 24.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Parson
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 Parson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
What Parson 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 Parson 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-P312 and R-Z301, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cameron, Gee, Brett, Clinton, Slater, Sims, Fair, Tinsley, Prescott, Howe.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Parson surname are: H1, H, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Parson 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Parson" Surname 38.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Parson" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Parson" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Parson" Surname 15.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Parson?
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 Parson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition