Contents [hide]

Paris History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Paris History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Belgium
England
France
Italy
Spain
Scotland

The earliest origins of the name Paris date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the Saxon tribe called Parisii who originally lived beside the Humber river in Lincolnshire. However, the name may also be of Norman descent as shown by the rather obvious reference to Paris, France. In this case, records show that William, Roger, Walter and Odelina Paris in a Normandy Roll 1180-1185. And about the same time, Hugo, Peter de Paris was listed in England c. 1198. 1

Early Origins of the Paris family

The surname Paris was first found in Lincolnshire where one of the first records of the name was Lotyn de Paris in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls list Robert de Paris in London and Ralph de Paris in Kent. Roger de Paris and Simon de Paris were both listed as living in London during the reign of Edward I. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Johannes de Parys.2

Somerset had an entry for the family: John Parys, who was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 3

John Parisshe, Pareys was listed in Lincolnshire in 1462. Paris Hall in North Weald Bassett, Essex was named from Richard de Paris (1276), and is later recorded as Parrishe in 1593. "This development of final sh from s is found in other names including in 1319 in Wrabenash for Wrabness." 4

By the late 12th century they were granted lands in Scotland by King David and Walter Paris was Bishop of Glasgow in 1202. John Paris rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. Edward Paris was one of those who helped burn down the town of Dumbarton. Elspeth Parris of West Lothian was accused of witchcraft in 1624 (which usually meant she was unwilling to convert her religion). 5

Early History of the Paris family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paris research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1259, 1526, 1582, 1609, 1653, 1666, 1682, 1692, 1720, 1735, 1743 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Paris History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paris Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Paris include Paris, Parish, Parris, Parrish, Pares and others.

Early Notables of the Paris family

Distinguished members of the family include

Matthew Paris (circa 1200-1259), English Benedictine monk at St Albans, known as a chronicler and manuscript illuminator; James Paris du Plessis (c.1666-1735), English servant of the famous diarist Sa...

Paris World Ranking

In the United States, the name Paris is the 2,319^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Paris is ranked the 792^nd most popular surname. 7 And in France, the name Paris is the 123^rd popular surname with an estimated 23,902 people with that name. 8

Paris migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Paris or a variant listed above:

Paris Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

Agustin Paris, who settled in New Spain in 1580
Ana Paris, who settled in New Spain in 1580

Paris Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Paris, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1637 9
Katherine Paris, who arrived in Maryland in 1675 9

Paris Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Marie Paris, aged 30, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 9
Anne M. Rachel Paris, who settled in Philadelphia in 1751
Isaac Paris, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1751 with his wife Rachel, and sons Pierre, Isaac, Jean-Martin and Daniel
Isaac Paris, who arrived in New York in 1751 9
Peter Paris, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1760 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Paris Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bennan De Paris, aged 24, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1836 9
Antonio Paris, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1842 9
A Paris, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 9
Juan Paris, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 9
Froilan Paris, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Paris migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Paris Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

François Paris, son of Claude and Élisabeth, who married Élisabeth Deschalets, daughter of François and Jacques, in Quebec on 26th November 1668 10
Francois Paris, who arrived in Quebec from Normandy in 1681
François Paris, son of Pierre and Cardine, who married Marie Rabouin, daughter of Jean and Marguerite, in Quebec on 13th October 1681 10
Pierre Paris, who arrived in Quebec in 1691 from Angoumois on the west coast of France near Bordeaux
Pierre Paris, son of Pierre and Anne, who married Michelle Charlan, daughter of Claude and Jeanne, in Sainte-Famille, Quebec on 24th January 1691 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Paris Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Gilles-Francois Paris, who arrived in Quebec in 1702 from the Franche-Comté
Gilles-François Paris, son of Jean and Françoise, who married Marie-Louise Charpentier, daughter of Jean and Barbe, in Lévis, Quebec on 7th June 1702 10
Jean-François Paris, son of François-Gilles and Marie, who married Marie-Charlotte Garand, daughter of Pierre and Catherine, in Quebec on 22nd November 1722 10
Pierre Paris, son of François and Marie, who married Marie-Jeanne Tellier, daughter of François and Anne, in Cap-Santé, Quebec on 15th November 1728 10
Pierre-Augustin Paris, son of Gilles-François and Marie-Louise, who married Madeleine Terriau, daughter of Guillaume and Marie-Anne, in Quebec on 30th June 1733 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Paris 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:

Paris Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Paris, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastian" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 7th October 1859 11

Paris migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12

Paris Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Thomas Paris settled with his wife and son in Barbados in 1678
Edward Paris who settled in Barbados in 1679 with his wife Elisabeth

Paris Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

David Paris who settled in Barbados in 1774

Contemporary Notables of the name Paris (post 1700) +

Georges de Paris (1934-2015), French-American tailor who is often referred to as tailor to the American Presidents; he has made suits for every American President since Lyndon Johnson
Dawn Evelyeen Paris (1918-1993), American Oscar-nominated actress, who took the stage name Anne Shirley
Jerry Paris Jr. (1925-1986), American actor and director
Jackie Paris (1926-2004), American jazz singer and guitarist
Joel B. Paris III, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 9 aerial victories
Helga Paris (1938-2024), German photographer
Erna Paris CM (1938-2022), Canadian non-fiction author, born in Toronto
Ronald Paris (1933-2021), German painter and graphic artist
Antoine Marie Paris d'Illins, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 13
Marie Auguste Paris, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 14
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, June 16) Antoine Paris. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, June 16) Marie Paris. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html