Explore the Family Name Parvis

The meaning of Parvis

English (Durham): probably from Middle English parvis(e) ‘portico, church porch’ (Old French par(e)vis, from paradis ‘cathedral or church square’), perhaps as a topographic name for someone who lived near a church or a nickname for one of those who met to do business there, such as lawyers.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Parvis has seen a significant decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 70,273 in popularity with 260 individuals carrying the name, equivalent to a proportion of 0.1 per 100k. By 2010, however, the rank had dropped to 91,221, with only 202 bearers of the surname, reflecting a proportion of 0.07 per 100k. This represents a decrease of approximately 30% in rank and over 22% in count.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#70,273	#91,221	-29.81%
Count	260	202	-22.31%
Proportion per 100k	0.1	0.07	-30%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Parvis

As for the ethnic identity represented by the surname Parvis, the Decennial U.S. Census data highlights a few notable changes from 2000 to 2010. The majority of those with this surname identified as White, making up 94.23% in 2000 and slightly decreasing to 93.07% in 2010. There was a small presence of Hispanic identity, at 3.46% in 2000, but this seemed to disappear entirely by 2010. The Black community saw an increase from 1.92% to 2.97%, while the category of "two or more races" appeared in 2010 at 2.97%. No individuals with the surname Parvis identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during either census year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	94.23%	93.07%	-1.23%
Two or More Races	0%	2.97%	0%
Black	1.92%	2.97%	54.69%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Hispanic	3.46%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%