Explore the Family Name Purves
The meaning of Purves
Scottish (Berwickshire and Midlothian), English (Northumberland), and Irish (Wexford), of Norman origin: variant of Purvis.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Purves in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Purves fluctuated between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Purves was ranked 34,071 in terms of popularity, however, by 2010 it had dropped to a rank of 37,848 indicating an 11.09% decrease. The count of people with the surname Purves also decreased during this period from 630 in 2000 to 587 in 2010, representing a 6.83% drop. The proportion of individuals carrying the surname per 100k also declined by 13.04% from 0.23 to 0.2.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #34,071 | #37,848 | -11.09% |
| Count | 630 | 587 | -6.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.23 | 0.2 | -13.04% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Purves
The ethnicity associated with the surname Purves also saw some changes from 2000 to 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. In both 2000 and 2010, there were no reported Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native bearers of the surname. However, the percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 98.1% to 96.59%. Simultaneously, there was a significant increase of 132.63% in the proportion of individuals identifying as Hispanic from 0.95% to 2.21%. Additionally, by 2010, 0.85% of people with the Purves surname identified with two or more races, a category that was not represented in the 2000 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.1% | 96.59% | -1.54% |
| Hispanic | 0.95% | 2.21% | 132.63% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0.85% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |