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Purvis
How to Pronounce Purvis
Pronounced PUR-viss /ˈpɜːrvɪs/High
Meaning: Purvis is an occupational surname from the Anglo-French purveys or porvist, 'provisions' or 'supplies', naming a man who was a purveyor of food for a household or monastery. Carried especially in the Scottish borders, it followed the common path from surname to given name for American boys in the surname-forename fashion.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Purvis traces to the Anglo-French word for 'provisions' and named the purveyor who kept a great household or abbey stocked. Common as a surname in Scotland and northern England, it crossed to America and, like many such names, was occasionally handed to sons as a first name.
It was never widespread as a forename, drawing only a couple dozen boys a year around its high in the early nineteen-twenties before dwindling. It reads as a sturdy, old-fashioned surname-name rather than a nursery pick.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Purvis mean?
It comes from an Anglo-French word for 'provisions', naming a purveyor, and became a surname then a first name.
How do you pronounce Purvis?
It's said PUR-viss /ˈpɜːrvɪs/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Purvis a boy or girl name?
Purvis is used as a boy's name.
Is Purvis a popular name?
No, it has always been rare as a first name, an old occupational surname used lightly for boys in the early twentieth century.