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Parr Family History

Parr Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Parr in Lancashire or from residence at an enclosure (Middle English parr Old English pearr).

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.

English: variant of Pear with the common late Middle English and early modern English change of -er- to -ar-.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Parr family from?

You can see how Parr families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Parr family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Parr families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,674 Parr families living in Lancashire. This was about 35% of all the recorded Parr's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Parr families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Parr surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Parr ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Parr. 8% of Parr men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Parr women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Parr were Builders Labourer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Parr | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Parr family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 208,000 census records available for the last name Parr. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Parr census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Parr

Passenger Lists

There are 20,000 immigration records available for the last name Parr. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Parr immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 24,000 military records available for the last name Parr. For the veterans among your Parr ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Parr military records

You've only scratched the surface of Parr family history

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What is the average Parr lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Parr life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Parr in 1947 was 49, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Parr

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Parr ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Parr family tree

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