Contents [hide]

Parks History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Parks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use Parks as a surname were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name someone who lived someone who lived near a park. The surname comes from the Old English word, parc. "Richard, William, Sylvester, John, Robert, Philip de Parco, [were listed in] Normandy 1180-95." 1

Early Origins of the Parks family

The surname Parks was first found in Cumberland, where they held a family seat from early times. One of the first records of the name was when Rober de Parco witnessed a charter by Earl David (c.1202-07) and later witnessed another charter by Walter Olifard (c. 1210.) 2

Further to the south in England, early listings in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include John del Pare in Suffolk, 1273 and later, Roger atte Parke was listed in the Writs of Parliament of 1301. 3

Early History of the Parks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parks research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1500, 1669, 1695, 1697, 1706, 1710 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Parks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parks Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Parks has been spelled Park, Parke, Parks, Parkes and others.

Early Notables of the Parks family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parks Ranking

In the United States, the name Parks is the 306^th most popular surname with an estimated 87,045 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Parks family to Ireland

Some of the Parks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parks migration to the United States +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Parks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Parks, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1647 5
Edward Parks, who arrived in Maryland in 1657 5
Samll Parks, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 5
George Parks, who landed in New Jersey in 1678 5
James Parks, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 5

Parks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Parks, aged 47, who landed in New York in 1812 5
Thomas Parks, aged 33, who landed in New York in 1812 5
David Parks, who landed in New York in 1841 5
Margaret Parks, aged 11, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 5
A Parks, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Parks migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Parks Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. James Parks U.E. who settled in Stamford Township [Niagara Falls], Ontario c. 1784 6
Mr. James Parks U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 6
Mr. Nathaniel Parks U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 6
Mr. Nathaniel Parks Sr., U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 he served in the King's Rangers 6
Sgt. James Parks U.E. who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1786 he served in the King's Rangers 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Parks Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Parks, aged 13, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
James Parks, aged 20, a clerk, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1833
William Parks, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834

Parks migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Parks Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. John Parks, (Sparks, Perks), English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1845 7

Parks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ann Parks, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" in March 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. John Parks (b. 1801), aged 28, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 17th August 1829, sentenced for 14 years for housebreaking and burglary, transported aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" on 1st April 1830 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 9
Mr. John Parks who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Thomas Parks, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 11
David Parks, aged 21, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Marshall Bennett" 12

Parks migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Parks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ann Parks, aged 25, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
John Parks, aged 25, a brickmaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Samuel Parks, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Eliza Parks, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Sydney Parks, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Parks (post 1700) +

Michael Parks (1943-2022), American journalist, editor, and educator, recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting award
David Wayne Parks (1941-2019), American NFL football wide receiver/end, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
Harry Samuel "Michael" Parks (1940-2017), American singer and actor, best known for his role in Then Came Bronson (1969) in which he sang the theme song for the show, "Long Lonesome Highway"
Lieutenant-General Floyd Lavinius Parks (1896-1959), American Chief of Information, Department of the Army (1949-1953) 13
George Alexander Parks (1883-1984), American engineer in the Alaska Territory, 5th Governor of Alaska Territory
Trina Parks (b. 1946), American actor, vocalist, choreographer, principal dancer and dance instructor most famous for portraying Thumper in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever
Bert Parks (1914-1992), American television announcer best known as the longtime host of Miss America
Van Dyke Parks (b. 1943), American composer, arranger, producer, musician and singer
Suzan-Lori Parks (b. 1964), American playwright and screenwriter awarded the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (1913-2005), American civil rights activist and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
... (Another 82 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Parks family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Catherine Parks (1853-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 14

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY BRUCE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846LadyBruce.htm
South Australian Register Friday 29 April 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marshall Bennett 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marshallbennett1853.shtml
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Floyd Parks. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Parks/Floyd_Lavinius/USA.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance