Explore the Family Name Perkey
The meaning of Perkey
Variant of Purkey, a surname of German and probably also, as a variant of Burkey, of Swiss German origin. History: Many of the Perkeys are descendants of one of the sons of Johann Arnold Birckenbuehl (or Birkenbeil, Birkenbeul) from Germany (see Purkeypile).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Perkey in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Perkey has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Perkey held rank 21,791 in terms of popularity, falling to 23,957 by 2010, reflecting a decrease of approximately 9.94%. During this same period, the count of individuals with the surname Perkey also declined by roughly 5.39%, from 1,113 people in 2000 to 1,053 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people with the surname Perkey dropped by about 12.2%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,791 | #23,957 | -9.94% |
| Count | 1,113 | 1,053 | -5.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.41 | 0.36 | -12.2% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Perkey
The Decennial U.S. Census also reveals changes in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Perkey. Predominantly, individuals bearing this surname identify as White, though there was a slight decrease in this group from 97.84% in 2000 to 96.39% in 2010. During the same period, the percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic increased by 37.61%, from 1.17% to 1.61%. Those identifying with two or more races also saw an increase of 75.93%, from 0.54% to 0.95%. Notably, the 2010 census indicated the presence of American Indian and Alaskan Native identities within the Perkey surname holders that had not been recorded in 2000. Asian/Pacific Islander and Black identities remained at 0% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.84% | 96.39% | -1.48% |
| Hispanic | 1.17% | 1.61% | 37.61% |
| Two or More Races | 0.54% | 0.95% | 75.93% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.47% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |