First found in Sussex where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that county.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Anne Pankhurst, age 16, who was on record in Boston in 1635; Thomas Pankhurst, who settled in Maryland in 1761; Francis Pankhurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1774.

For more information on the last name Pankhurst, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.