The Purdy surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 15,126 people carried this name — #2,396 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 19,500 people counted. That is up 1% from 14,987 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Purdy surname

Variant of Purdue.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Purdy» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: John Purden, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Purday, Purdey, Purdie, Purdy and Purdue.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 627 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 16 births for the Purdy name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 700 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. One of them was indexed under another spelling of the name.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 15
Leinster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Purdy was found among the farmers of Norfolk: 13 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Norfolk 13

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

134 families named Purdy, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 820 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 90
Pennsylvania 15
Vermont 6
Maryland 6
Virginia 6
Connecticut 4
South Carolina 4
North Carolina 3

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 258 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Purdy in American newspapers,
1878–1924.

Newspaper page from The Opelousas Courier carrying the name Purdy
The Opelousas Courier 1904-04-23
Newspaper page from The New Orleans Daily Democrat carrying the name Purdy
The New Orleans Daily Democrat 1878-07-28
Newspaper page from The Wolf Point Herald carrying the name Purdy
The Wolf Point Herald 1924-11-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 161,660 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Purdy in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

12,223 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Purdy. The most, 2,362, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 2.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,377
Victoria 3,017
Tasmania 1,754
Western Australia 1,501
Queensland 1,458
South Australia 718
ACT (Canberra) 354
Northern Territory 11

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Purdy.

Who carried it

People named Purdy,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Samuel Purdy
    Samuel Purdy 1819–1882 · politician
  • Lawson Purdy
    Lawson Purdy 1863–1959 · jurist
  • Henry Purdy d. 1827 · judge
  • John Purdy 1773–1843 · cartographer
  • Meade Purdy 1796–1870 · judge
  • William S. Purdy 1822–1901 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Purdy,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,620 records

2,620 records of the Purdy name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,032
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 637
  • Other U.S. records 951
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Dewitt C. Purdy

    Born 1922 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; aircraft worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1957, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Randall Breward Purdy

    Born 1946; from Briarcliff Manor, New York. U.S. Marine Corps, radio telegraph operator; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Purdy

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the New York from Liverpool, aged 16; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,620 records for Purdy in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada1,507 records

1,507 records of the Purdy name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1,400
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 26
  • Other Canadian records 81
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Charles L. Purdy

    Killed in 1903 at the Springhill No. 3 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Purdy

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Bradford, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Frances Lillian Purdy

    Buried in 1972 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 86.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 1,507 records for Purdy in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia466 records

466 records of the Purdy name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 199
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 142
  • Other Australian records 125
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert John Purdy

    Died 1886 in Port Sorell, Tasmania, aged 45. Will registered in Tasmania in 1886.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Purdy

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Prince of Orange, arriving 1821; ticket of leave 1834. Native of Norfolk.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Purdy

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Eagle, aged 32; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 466 records for Purdy in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Purdy name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 5
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Robert Purdy

    Born 1857 at Morpeth. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Purdy

    Tank Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Smith Purdy

    Born 1872 at Morpeth. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Purdy in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Purdy name in New Zealand War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record A. W. Purdy

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Purdy name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Ernest Ivan Purdy

    Married in 1945 in Haren; "mecanciën".

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Purdy.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Purdy is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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