Parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or more curates, and who operates from a parish church. In England, a parish historically often covered the same geographical area as a manor.
Meaning & Origin of Parish
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or more curates, and who operates from a parish church. In England, a parish historically often covered the same geographical area as a manor.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Parish
As a girl name
American parents first put Parish on the record books as a girl name in 1967, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 19 Parishs were born — ranking #5,051 that year. About 34% of every Parish on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Parish last appeared in the published SSA data in 2020, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 302 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Parish first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1991: 43 births, good for #1,823 nationwide. About 26% of every Parish on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Parish last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 901 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Parish
Phonetically similar names — useful when Parish is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Parish
What does the name Parish mean?
How popular is Parish in 2026?
When was Parish most popular?
In which U.S. states is Parish most popular?
Is Parish a unisex name?
What names go well with Parish?
About the name Parish
Parish is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 901 births in the dataset. Parish's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #1,823. Use the chart and map above to compare Parish's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1991 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.