Fun Facts About the Name Parry
- 508 babies named Parry: U.S. records list 508 babies given the name Parry from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Parry Mean?
Parry is a Welsh name meaning "son of Harry." It comes from the Welsh patronymic phrase ap Harry, in which ap is the Welsh word for "son of" and Harry is a medieval English form of the personal name Henry. Henry itself goes back through Old French to a Germanic name whose elements mean "home" and "ruler," so the ancestor of the Harry in Parry carries the sense "home ruler."
The meaning of Parry is therefore patronymic rather than descriptive: it identifies the bearer as a descendant of a man named Harry. It is not related to the similar-sounding English name Perry, which has separate origins.
Parry Name History & Origins
Parry began as a Welsh patronymic that became a fixed surname, and only later came into use as a given name. In medieval and early modern Wales, a person was commonly identified by the ap ("son of") construction - ap Rhys, ap Hugh, ap Hywel - and over time these phrases were run together and anglicized into hereditary surnames. The same pattern that produced Price from ap Rhys, Pugh from ap Hugh, and Powell from ap Hywel also produced Parry from ap Harry, with the unstressed vowel of ap dropping away and the two elements fusing.
Because these surnames were formed from a father's given name, the same surname could arise independently in many unrelated families, so not all people named Parry descend from a single ancestor. The surname is most associated with Wales and the Welsh border country, and it also appears in England. Its use as a first name is largely a later transfer of the surname, and it remains far more common as a surname than as a given name.
How Popular is the Name Parry?
Parry has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1965. Its best rank was #1,843 in 1965.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | #9,566 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #7,904 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #7,539 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #6,016 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #9,231 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1990 | #6,965 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #6,742 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #6,311 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #4,131 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #3,802 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #7,086 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #4,975 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #3,647 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #4,199 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #2,905 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1973 | #3,163 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1972 | #3,285 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1971 | #3,297 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #4,132 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #3,842 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #3,593 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #2,227 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #2,309 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #1,843 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1964 | #2,284 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #2,023 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1962 | #1,942 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1961 | #2,053 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1960 | #2,507 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1959 | #2,085 | 16 | 0.0007% |
| 1958 | #2,471 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #2,003 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1956 | #2,462 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1955 | #3,419 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #2,405 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #2,497 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1952 | #3,640 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #2,620 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,406 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1949 | #2,309 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1948 | #3,239 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1947 | #3,038 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #3,108 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #2,929 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1943 | #3,923 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #3,933 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1938 | #3,910 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #3,432 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1936 | #3,085 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #4,190 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #4,650 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #4,733 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #4,801 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #4,163 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #4,649 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Parry Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Parry's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Parry's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.